One statistician has estimated the costs of the war. Every day it would cost about $149 million. The destruction in France, Belgium and Russia would be the biggest cost amounting to several billions. He concluded that the costs of this war would have to be paid by the loser.
Germany’s financial situation (7 October 1914)
The Allies doubted that Germany could stand the costs for the war for more than a short time, but a new analysis had shown that Germany could pay for its current military expenses for longer than a year.
(„Die Kosten des europäischen Krieges“, Berliner Journal, 23 December 1914; „Deutsche Kriegskosten 20 Millionen täglich“, Berliner Journal, 7 October 1914)