To determine why Austria-Hungary's casualty rate was higher than Germany's, we'll need to calculate and compare their casualty rates. The casualty rate is defined as the percentage of the total forces that were killed or wounded.
### Step-by-Step Solution
1. Identify the given values:
For Germany:
- Total forces: 11,000,000
- Total casualties: 7,142,558
For Austria-Hungary:
- Total forces: 7,800,888
- Total casualties: 7,020,000
2. Calculate the casualty rate for Germany:
The formula to calculate the casualty rate is:
[tex]\[
\text{Casualty Rate} = \left( \frac{\text{Total Casualties}}{\text{Total Forces}} \right) \times 100
\][/tex]
Applying the values for Germany:
[tex]\[
\text{Germany's Casualty Rate} = \left( \frac{7,142,558}{11,000,000} \right) \times 100 \approx 64.93\%
\][/tex]
3. Calculate the casualty rate for Austria-Hungary:
Applying the values for Austria-Hungary:
[tex]\[
\text{Austria-Hungary's Casualty Rate} = \left( \frac{7,020,000}{7,800,888} \right) \times 100 \approx 89.99\%
\][/tex]
4. Compare the casualty rates:
- Germany's casualty rate: 64.93%
- Austria-Hungary's casualty rate: 89.99%
It is clear that Austria-Hungary's casualty rate (89.99%) is indeed higher than Germany's casualty rate (64.93%).
5. Determine the reason:
Among the given options, the relevant one is:
- "Austria-Hungary had a higher percentage of total forces killed and wounded than Germany did."
So, the reason Austria-Hungary's casualty rate was higher than Germany's is:
Austria-Hungary had a higher percentage of total forces killed and wounded than Germany did.
