 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Mutori wenhau ane ruzivo, Rathenau akabudisa muBerliner Tageblatt chinyorwa chinopomera nyika yake yokugadzirisa zvematongerwe enyika muVienna. Sezvo ukama hwoumambo huviri neRussia hwakanga huchiwedzera, pepa racho rakatsanangura rangano yakavanzika yaishanda muDhipatimendi reHondo raMoltke umo iye akanga atora rutivi. Mukati meHondo yeNyika I mirangariro yake yakaoma. Akabata nzvimbo dzakakwirira muDhipatimendi reZvinhu Zvokutanga zveHurumende yeHondo uye akava sachigaro weAEG pakafa baba vake muna 1915. Rathenau akaita basa rinokosha mukunyengetedza War Ministry kuti igadzire War Raw Materials Department Kriegsrohstoffabteilung, KRA, kwaakaiswa mutariri kubva muna Nyamavhuvhu 1914 kusvika Kurume 1915 uye akagadza mitemo yakakosha nemaitiro. Vashandi vake vakuru vakanga vakakweretwa kubva kumaindasitiri. KRA yakanangidzira ngwariro pazvinhu zvakagadzirwa zvinotyisidzirwa nechitambudzo cheBritain, pamwe chete nezvinopiwa zvinobva kuBelgium neFrance. Raigadza mitengo uye raidzora kugoverwa kwaiitwa kumakambani anokosha ehondo. Yakatanga kuvandudzwa kwe Ersatzkaisertum mbishi zvinhu, kugadzira zvitengeswa zvekutengesa kuunza rugare uye kuchinja hurumende mukati meGermany. KRA yakatambura kusashanda kwakawanda kunokonzerwa nekuoma uye udyire hwakasangana nekutengeserana, indasitiri, uye hurumende pachayo. 