In August 1914 what had been threatened half a dozen times over the previous decade actually occurred: a war began in Europe that involved the great powers and soon became world-wide. The war was hardly a surprise, for Europe was armed to the teeth. In order to maintain the largest armies possible with the latest military equipment, governments had strained their limited national resources, often at the expense of rising popular demands for social services. The continent as a whole was never as ready for war as in 1914.1