Apex Learning History Shifting Balance of Power Timeline
In this assignment, you will complete the following steps:
- Create: Using information from your reading and research, construct a timeline of events in Europe between 1871 and 1917 that affected the balance of power. Include at least six events.
- Reflect: Fill in a chart of events from your timeline and explain the significance of each European event and how it affected the balance of power.
- Analyze: Answer questions and write a paragraph about the human cost of war.
To get the best grade possible, follow the instructions in the assignment closely and answer all of the questions completely. This assignment is worth 20 points.
Create a timeline showing major events between 1871 and 1917 that are associated with the shifting balance of power in Europe and in the world. Include at least six items. Label each item with a short title. (6 points)
Fill in the chart with the dates from your timeline. Explain what happened in each event. Also explain how each event affected the balance of power in Europe. (The first row is completed for you as a sample.) (6 points)
| Date and event | What happened | How this affected the balance of power |
| 1871: German Empire founded | German-speaking states in Central Europe unified under Kaiser Wilhelm II. | Prussia won a war with France and united German states into one nation. Germany became a new world power. France, Britain, and Russia felt threatened by this new neighbor. |
Study the statistical information and answer the questions. (8 points)
World War I killed around 20 million people. It is hard to estimate exactly how many died, but here are some rough figures:
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World War I Casualties1 |
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| Country | Total population (in millions) | Military deaths | Civilian deaths | Deaths as percentage of population |
| Germany | 64.9 | 2,050,897 | 467,000 | 3.82% |
| Russia | 175.1 | 1,811,000 | 1,500,000 | 1.89% |
| France | 39.6 | 1,397,800 | 300,000 | 4.29% |
| Austria-Hungary | 51.4 | 1,100,000 | 467,000 | 3.05% |
| Great Britain | 45.4 | 885,138 | 109,000 | 2.19% |
| Italy | 35.6 | 651,000 | 589,000 | 3.48% |
| Ottoman Empire | 21.3 | 771,844 | 2,150,000 | 13.72% |
| Australia | 4.5 | 61,928 | None | 1.38% |
| United States | 92.0 | 116,708 | 757 | 0.13% |
1. Based on the statistics provided, which country suffered the heaviest military losses during World War I? (1 point)
2. Based on the statistics provided, which power suffered the heaviest loss of civilian life? (1 point)
3. Why do you think Australia registered no civilian deaths from World War I? (1 point)
4. The United States lost over 100,000 soldiers in World War I. Over 4.7 million soldiers served. From what you know about the war, what accounts for the relatively low number of U.S. deaths compared to the statistics for other countries? (1 point)
5. Write a one-paragraph essay (8 to 12 sentences) in answer to this question:
How did changes in the balance of power between 1871 and 1917 affect the history of Europe and the Middle East? (4 points)
