Military historian General Patricia Chen has analyzed Napoleon's decision to invade Russia during winter, citing the strategic risks of extended...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Military historian General Patricia Chen has analyzed Napoleon's decision to invade Russia during winter, citing the strategic risks of extended supply lines and brutal weather conditions. The campaign's catastrophic failure cost Napoleon nearly 400,000 troops; _____ his earlier victories had been achieved through swift summer campaigns with manageable logistics and favorable conditions.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
similarly,
consequently,
in contrast,
furthermore,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Military historian General Patricia Chen has analyzed Napoleon's decision to invade Russia during winter, citing the strategic risks of extended supply lines and brutal weather conditions." |
|
| "The campaign's catastrophic failure cost Napoleon nearly 400,000 troops;" |
|
| "[MISSING TRANSITION]" |
|
| "his earlier victories had been achieved through swift summer campaigns with manageable logistics and favorable conditions." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Napoleon's disastrous winter invasion of Russia contrasted sharply with his earlier successful summer campaigns.
Argument Flow: The passage presents an expert's analysis of Napoleon's failed winter invasion, documents the catastrophic losses, then shifts to describe his previously successful pattern of summer campaigns with better conditions.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at our analysis, we have a clear shift happening at the blank
- Before the blank: devastating winter campaign with massive losses and terrible conditions
- After the blank: successful summer campaigns with manageable logistics and favorable conditions
- These two pieces present opposite scenarios - failure versus success, winter versus summer, extended supply lines versus manageable logistics, brutal conditions versus favorable conditions
- The relationship we need is one that highlights this opposition
- So the right answer should signal a contrast between the failed winter invasion and the successful summer campaigns
similarly,
✗ Incorrect: "Similarly" indicates the two situations are alike
- But we're comparing a disaster (400K troops lost, brutal conditions) with successes (swift campaigns, favorable conditions)
- These are opposites, not similarities
consequently,
✗ Incorrect: "Consequently" shows cause and effect - that one thing led to another
- But Napoleon's earlier victories didn't result from his later Russian disaster
- The timeline and logic don't support a causal relationship
in contrast,
✓ Correct: "In contrast" perfectly signals the opposition between the two scenarios
- The devastating winter invasion directly contrasts with the successful summer campaigns
- This matches our prethinking - we need to show these are opposite approaches with opposite outcomes
furthermore,
✗ Incorrect: "Furthermore" adds similar or supporting information
- But the earlier victories don't support or add to the story of the Russian disaster - they contrast with it