At the outbreak of war, most believed that it would be over quite quickly. After almost a year of fighting, however, people were beginning to understand the impressive strength of the German army. Even though it was fighting a war in the east and the west at the same time, Germany did not seem to be wavering in terms of its manpower or resolve. In the summer of 1915, articles like this one which grudgingly admitted that the Germans had been underestimated began appearing. Others reported rumours that, despite the British naval blockade, Germany was manufacturing 250,000 artillery shells every day! The authors concluded that even though the Entente benefited from a significant advantage in manpower, it needed to begin producing more weapons and using its resources more efficiently. With the modern weapons used in this war, manpower was simply not enough to guarantee victory.
Berlin Daily Telegraph, July 13, 1915.
Elmira Signet, July 22, 29, 1915.
