 Ramba uchinyora ndima iyi - Vatsoropodzi vaConrad vanotaura kuti zvikanganiso zvake zvakatungamirira kugore rokutanga rinoparadza rehondo iro rakakanganisa mano ehondo yeAustria-Hungary. Somuenzaniso, muMushandirapamwe weSerbia wa1914, wakatungamirirwa naGeneral Oskar Potiorek, Mauto eSerbia akaratidza kuva anobudirira zvikuru kupfuura zvaitarisirwa naConrad pasinei nokuti Austria-Hungary yaiva nesimba guru. Vasingakundwi muhondo huru dzose, pakupedzisira vakamanikidza kudzokera shure kwakazara kwemauto aPotiorek pakupera kwegore. Zvakare kutanga kweAustro-Hungarian kurwisa Russia kwaishamisa nekushaya kwavo mhedzisiro, kwakaguma nekurasikirwa kweHondo yeGalicia uye nhamo yePrzemyślpamwe chete nemitengo mikuru yevanhu. Conrad akanga ane mutoro wakakwana nokuda kwenjodzi iyi, nokuti akanga aita kuti mauto akawanda kwazvo ave muSerbia, achisiya mauto mashoma zvikuru kuti arwise kufambira mberi kweRussia. Conrad akapomera shamwari dzeGermany, idzo dzakanga dzadzinga Mauto eRussia kubva kuEast Prussia muHondo yeTannenberg, nokuda kwokushayikwa kwekutsigirwa kwemauto. Kukundwa kwakaipisisa kwakauya muna 1916, muRussia Brusilov Offensive, imwe yehondo dzakauraya zvikuru munhoroondo yenyika, umo mauto eAustria-Hungary pasi pekutungamira kwaConrad akarasikirwa nevarume vanopfuura mazana matanhatu ezviuru, uye havana kuzombokwanisazve kukwira pasina rubatsiro rweGerman. Njodzi yacho yakakonzerwa zvikurukuru nokuzvivimba kwakanyanyisa kweAustria pamwe chete naConrad akanga atumira vashandi vokuwedzera kuItaly, achiregeredza tyisidziro yeRussia. Zvizhinji zvezvikunda zveAustria kumabvazuva zvaive zvichikwanisika chete mukubatana neGerman High Command OHL, iyo uto reAustria-Hungary rakawedzera kuvimba. Pashure pokukundwa kwake mugore rokutanga, Conrad akanga achiwedzera kubviswa navaGermany kumabvazuva. 