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Signs of war in the Pre WW1 period

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Constantinople:
I came across something interesting in a book I am reading on Financial history.
In 1906 and 1907, the British government bailed out a couple of investment banks that got into trouble and had to borrow gold from France and Germany (or their central banks). Russia then shipped gold to Germany I think that this is an indication of little expectation there was of war.  I couldn't find details for the years immediately preceding WW1 but assume the same agreement held.  
    The purpose of this thread is to explore what indicators there were of a war immediately prior to the Great War. Or possibly, what indicators there weren't.

TimM:
It was the Kaiser's land grabbing that helped make everyone wary of him.

Sergei Witte:
There were very little actual signs of an upcoming war before the assasiation of Franz Ferdinand.  With a hindsight we can now say that there were many but that is easy.

Actually, what land grabbing do you refer to, Tim? IMO it was more rhetoric of Wilhelm and the Ober Heeresleitung that were perceived as a threat to the British politicians that could be a sign of increasing tensions. Of course Wilhem was deaf to these developments. Before the assasination of Franz Ferdinand there were very little direct signs. Long term causes were of course there but they go back to 1880 or so.

The secrecy which surrounded agreements between countries was another tricker.

This changed after the assasination. Then it became obvious that Austria wanted war against Serbia and is was known that this would set a chain of reactions which would lead to a big European war.

Sergei Witte:
Here you can find much info on signs of the War

http://net.lib.byu.edu/estu/wwi/1914m/gooch/firstpps.htm

Petr:
Great resource. Thanks.

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