Was Fisher promoted beyond his capability?

Was Fisher promoted beyond his capability?

No. Fisher was highly capable and faced incompatible demands for economy, modernization, and global naval coverage.

Fisher is presented as the strongest available candidate for the period, despite the suggestion that he had risen beyond his ability. His difficulty was trying to reconcile competing demands that could not all be met with the available money. Fisher needed to modernize, reduce expenditure, and preserve a fleet capable of both European war and global duties. That tension frames the later criticism of how the cuts were applied.