The chart shows armed forces in Europe in 1914.

\begin{tabular}{|l|r|r|r|}
\hline
\multicolumn{4}{|c|}{European Armed Forces in 1914} \\
\hline
Country & Standing Army & Reservists & Warships \\
\hline
France & [tex]$1,125,000$[/tex] & [tex]$2,400,000$[/tex] & 62 \\
\hline
Germany & [tex]$2,200,000$[/tex] & [tex]$6,300,000$[/tex] & 97 \\
\hline
Great Britain & 711,000 & n/a & 185 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

Which nation would most likely have the biggest advantage during a European war, and why?

A. Great Britain, because they had the most warships to complement their small army.
B. Germany, because most of the fighting would be on land and they had the largest army.
C. France, because if they called up their reservists their army would be larger than Germany's.



Answer :

To determine which nation would most likely have the biggest advantage during a European war in 1914, let’s analyze the information provided in detail.

1. France:
- Standing Army: 1,125,000
- Reservists: 2,400,000
- Total Army: Standing Army + Reservists = 1,125,000 + 2,400,000 = 3,525,000
- Warships: 62

2. Germany:
- Standing Army: 2,200,000
- Reservists: 6,300,000
- Total Army: Standing Army + Reservists = 2,200,000 + 6,300,000 = 8,500,000
- Warships: 97

3. Great Britain:
- Standing Army: 711,000
- Reservists: Data not available
- Warships: 185

Based on this data:
- France: The total size of the army, including reservists, is 3,525,000.
- Germany: The total size of the army, including reservists, is 8,500,000.
- Great Britain: The standing army is 711,000 and they have the most warships (185), but information about reservists is not provided.

Warships:
- Great Britain has the most warships, 185, which suggests they would have a strong naval advantage.

Army Size:
- Germany has the largest total army size at 8,500,000, far surpassing France's 3,525,000 and Great Britain's 711,000 standing army.

Conclusion:
- Germany would most likely have the biggest advantage during a European war. Despite Great Britain having the most warships, a significant portion of the fighting in a European conflict would occur on land. Considering Germany’s massive land army of 8,500,000, they would have a dominant advantage in land engagements.
- While France does have a substantial total army size upon calling up their reservists, it still does not match Germany's combined total.
- Great Britain, though possessing a powerful navy, does not have a sufficiently large standing army to compete with Germany on land.

Thus, Germany's large land army would give it the most significant advantage in a European land war in 1914.