 Nyorai kuenderera kweiyi ndima - Otto von Bismarck, Chancellor weImperial 18711890, akagumburwa nekupindira kwemauto munyaya dzezvematongerwo enyika muna 1887, semuenzaniso, vakaedza kugombedzera Mambo kuti vazivise hondo kuRussia; vakakurudzirawo Austria kurwisa Russia. Bismarck haana kutongodzora uto, asi akanyunyuta zvakasimba, uye vatungamiriri vehondo vakadzokera shure. Muna 1905, apo nhau yeMoroccokwakanga kuri kuvhiringidza zvamatongerwe enyika enyika, mukuru mukuru wehurumende Alfred von Schlieffen akadaidzira hondo yokudzivisa neFrance. Panhambo yakakomba yenhamo yaJuly ya1914, Helmuth von Moltke, mukuru mukuru wehurumende, asina kuudza Mambo kana kuti chancellor, akarayira mumwe wake muAustria kuti aite chiito chokurwisa Russia pakarepo. Mukati meHondo yeNyika Yokutanga, Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg akawedzera kugadza mutemo wokunze, achishanda zvakananga naMambo - uye zvirokwazvo akaumba kuita kwake zvisarudzo - achisiya kanzura nevakuru vakuru vehurumende vari murima. Wezvenhau Gordon A. Craig anoti zvisarudzo zvinokosha muna 1914, zvakaitwa navarwi uye kuti, mukuzviita, vakaratidzira kufuratira kwakakwana kurangarira zvamatongerwe enyika. 