The balance of power in 1914 Europe was a major issue when World War One was declared in August 1914. The major protagonists believed that they held the balance of power when war was declared and the statistics seemed to bear this out if each nation studied its own strengths. Unfortunately, the combination of old tactics and new weapons led to the horrors of trench warfare and all that is associated with it – something the powers had failed to add into their calculations with regards to the balance of power in Europe.

GB France Russia Germany A-Hungary Turkey
Population 46,407,037 39,601,509 167,000,000 65,000,000 49,882,231 21,373,900
Soldiers* 711,000^ 3,500,000 4,423,000 8,500,000~ 3,000,000 360,000
Merchant fleet (tons) 11,530,000 1,098,000 486,914 3,096,000 559,784 66,878
Battleships 64 28 16 40 16
Cruisers 121 34 14 57 12
Submarines 64 73 29 23 6
Value foreign trade (£) 1,223,152,000 424,000,000 190,247,000 1,030,380,000 198,712,000 67,472,000
Steel prod.** 6,903,000  4,333,000 4,416,000 17,024,000 2,642,000
Railways *** 23,441 25,471 46,573 39,439 27,545 3,882

* = in 1914 on mobilisation

^ = including British Empire

~ = Emergency maximum figure

** = tons

*** = miles