The account describes British Atlantic and Mediterranean fleets appearing with twenty battleships and numerous cruisers and destroyers before the delegates. Inviting representatives aboard the flagship turned a social occasion into a demonstration of maritime capacity. A single toast avoided protocol disputes while preserving the gathering's diplomatic appearance. Searchlights, the harbour setting, and the nearby Rock of Gibraltar reinforced the political message without direct coercion.
Notable Point · 1:43:02-1:44:10
A fleet dinner as naval diplomacy
A combined British fleet display at Algiers made naval strength part of the conference's diplomatic choreography.