Bayan fitowar Yaƙin Duniya na farko a ranar 28 ga Yuli, 1914, Goeben da Breslau sun kai hare-haren Faransa a Arewacin Afirka ta Kudu sannan suka tsere wa sojojin Burtaniya a cikin Bahar Rum Janar Agusta Karl von Goeben. Tare da 'yar'uwarta, Goeben sun yi kama da tsarin yakin basasa na Jamus na baya, Von der Tann, amma sun fi girma, tare da karuwar kariyar makamai da kuma karin manyan bindigogi guda biyu a cikin wani ƙarin hasumiya. Goeben da Moltke sun fi girma da kuma mafi kyawun makamai fiye da kwatankwacin Birtaniya Indefatigable class. Watanni da yawa bayan da aka ba da ita a 1912, Goeben, tare da jirgin ruwa mai haske Breslau, ya kafa sashen Jamus na Bahar Rum kuma ya yi sintiri a can a lokacin Balkan Wars. Bayan fitowar Yaƙin Duniya na farko a ranar 28 ga Yuli, 1914, Goeben da Breslau sun kai hare-haren Faransa a Arewacin Afirka ta Kudu sannan suka tsere wa sojojin Birtaniya a cikin Bahar Rum da kuma suka kai Constantinople.
mafi girma, tare da karuwar kariya ta makamai da kuma karin bindigogi guda biyu a cikin wani turret