Compare the standing army sizes: France (1,125,000) vs. Russia (1,200,000). France has a slightly smaller standing army.
Compare the number of reservists: France (2,400,000) vs. Russia (3,200,000). France has fewer reservists.
Evaluate the given statements based on these comparisons.
The best description is: France had a slightly smaller army than Russia. F r an ce ha d a s l i g h tl ys ma ll er a r m y t han R u ss ia .
Explanation
Problem Analysis We are given a table with data about the European Armed Forces in 1914. The table includes the standing army and reservists for Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Great Britain, and Russia. We need to compare the size of France's army with Russia's army and determine which statement best describes the comparison.
Comparing Standing Armies First, let's compare the standing army sizes of France and Russia. France's standing army: 1,125,000 Russia's standing army: 1,200,000 France has a slightly smaller standing army than Russia.
Comparing Reservists Next, let's compare the number of reservists of France and Russia. France's reservists: 2,400,000 Russia's reservists: 3,200,000 France has fewer reservists than Russia.
Evaluating Statements Now, let's evaluate the given statements:
France had a significantly larger army than Russia. - This is incorrect because France has a slightly smaller army.
France had a slightly smaller army than Russia. - This is correct based on the standing army comparison.
France had significantly more reservists than Russia. - This is incorrect because France has fewer reservists than Russia.
France and Russia had about the same number of reservists. - This is incorrect because there is a significant difference in the number of reservists.
Final Answer Based on the comparisons, the statement that best describes the size of France's army compared to Russia's is: France had a slightly smaller army than Russia.
Examples
Understanding military sizes can be applied to resource allocation in emergency response planning. For example, knowing the manpower available in different regions helps in distributing aid and personnel effectively during natural disasters. Comparing the number of available personnel to the population size allows for better planning and resource management, ensuring that assistance reaches those who need it most efficiently.
France's army was smaller than Russia's in both standing and reservist numbers. The most accurate statement regarding their army sizes is option B: France had a slightly smaller army than Russia. Based on the data, France had 1,125,000 standing troops compared to Russia's 1,200,000 and fewer reservists as well.
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