The People’s Republic of China played a pivotal role during the Cold War. While the PRC’s influence was largely limited to satellites in Asia, the country was important to the uneasy balance of power that ultimately descended upon the post-WWII world. While beginning as an ally of the USSR, China became a counter-balance to Soviet influence in Asia during the later stages of the Cold War.
Summits between the leadership of the superpowers became major implements of public diplomacy from the mid to late Cold War. Success was measured in terms of agenda items secured, treaties signed, and who was tougher on whom. As in an international boxing match, non-aligned countries watched from the sidelines trying to discern which power was in the ascendant. Virtually all major arms control agreements were either initiated or concluded at a summit. In that sense, they were an important tool for sizing up relative intentions, and ensuring the Cold War did not become hot.
A trade union movement originating in the Polish shipyards of Gdansk, Solidarity became the focal point for anti-communist resistance within the Eastern bloc. Solidarity quickly moved beyond a simple worker’s movement and rallied pro-Catholic, intellectuals and other social dissidents to its banner. Its toleration within a Warsaw Pact nation was unprecedented, and involved a cat and mouse game heavily reliant on public scrutiny of Soviet intentions, the prestige of the Polish Pope, John Paul II, and the political courage of its leader Lech Walesa. While Poland’s communist led government under Wojciech Jaruzelski did crack down on Solidarity and imprison much of its leadership, the organization went underground and began to regrow. By 1988, Solidarity led strikes had forced the Polish Communists into open negotiations.
The United Nations remained generally unable to influence the struggle between the superpowers due to Security Council veto power throughout the Cold War. However, it occasionally stood as a gauge for world opinion, and could mediate in stalled conflicts throughout the Third World. It was also the backdrop for a number of quintessential moments of the conflict, including the Soviet Korean War walkout, the “We Will Bury You” speech, and of course, the Cuban Missile Crisis—don’t wait for the translation Mr. Zorin!
Not a concept unique to the Cold War, the term “puppet governments” refers to a regime that holds power due to, and with the support of, either the Soviet Union or the United States. A derisive term, it is almost always used by the opponents of a state to undermine the government’s legitimacy. Both the Soviets and the Americans would apply the term to any closely allied state, but it might be better understood in the context of the Diem government in South Vietnam or Mariam government of Ethiopia.
*** American initiates coup in Guatemala with 2 Ops.
* U.S. Die = [1] *** <American>
* American changes American Military Ops to 2.
* Removing 1 Soviet Influence from Guatemala.
@Iron Weasel
You've already played Cambridge Five this turn.
Please play another card.
Founded to allow oil producing countries to have more control over the price of oil, and thereby state revenues, OPEC has grown into an institution that controls two-thirds of the world’s oil reserves and generates roughly half of the world’s oil exports. The creation of OPEC was a major blow to the control of the global oil market by the Western giants like Exxon and British Petroleum. While OPEC does include non-Middle Eastern countries such as Venezuela, Indonesia and Nigeria, it is heavily dominated by countries from that region. As a result, OPEC has intervened in the political crises there. Most famously, OPEC refused oil exports to Western countries supporting Israel in the Yom Kippur (or October) War. This resulted in a 400% increase in oil prices and required rationing in the West.
The E3 “AWACS” aircraft is one of the most sophisticated early command and surveillance platforms available to the United States Air Force. Imagine Congress’ surprise when President Ronald Reagan announced plans to sell 5 of them to Saudi Arabia after they have only recently entered service in the United States. The “Airborne Warning and Control System” sale was, at that time, the largest military sale ever. While it met with Congressional resistance, as well as resistance from the Israeli government, ultimately, the objective was to cement Saudi Arabia as the US new anchor against Tehran. The high profile political risk associated with this arms sale would draw the two governments together long after the Cold War was over.
* DefCon to 3.
* Coups and realignments now allowed in MiddleEast.
Headlines chosen. Values are tied so American event goes first:
The US Congress passed into law the Federal Civil Defense Act, in reaction to the first Soviet tests of nuclear weapons in 1949. Duck and Cover is perhaps the most memorable of a variety of civil defense efforts to raise awareness of nuclear attack. Ironically, such films may have assisted in increasing the possibility of nuclear war by making the possibility of such a conflict “thinkable” by the general public.
The Pershing II missile was designed as a direct counter to the Soviet Intermediate Range Missile, the SS-20. The deployment of 108 of these missiles in West Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom proved a major test for NATO’s resolve. Public protests against the deployments were massive. However, despite the strains, the weapons were deployed, providing NATO with a bargaining chip in the proposed Intermediate range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty discussions. These negotiations had been suspended in 1983, and the successful deployment of the Pershing II’s provided impetus for restarting the talks in 1985. Ultimately, the talks would succeed at the Reykjavik summit in Iceland in 1986.
DefCon to 2.
Coups and realignments not allowed in MiddleEast.
Americans gain 3 VPs.
Soviets gain 1 VP & may remove Influence.
As secular Arab and Muslim states throughout the Middle East displayed corruption, repression and incompetence, more radical forms of Islam began to come to the fore. The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt, sought to topple the secular regime there and in Syria. This led to further cycles of repression and authoritarian rule within these countries. A similar cycle took place in Iran under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. A long standing regional ally of the United States, and the West generally, the Shah was deposed by a popular revolution led by the anti-western Ayatollah Khomeini. This ushered in the world’s first contemporary theocracy. Iran’s Mullahs would spend the rest of the 20th Century in efforts to export their revolution to other Shia Muslim communities.
We hadn't any region score cards, but we had Alliance for progress, as a second counter for this (expected) move.
A bit of a coward move, but the right one, seen that all the map was on our side (or would have be a few rounds) excluding South America. I would have done it too.
GG @Iron Weasel and thanks @stever777 for hosting. The format changed subtantially the game playing and was interesting.
This dragged long partially because I wanted Kirindal to call the moves, since he was new to the game. I only suggested the possible combination of moves and lket him make the final call.
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Options
Iron WeaselDillon!You son of a bitch!Registered Userregular
edited August 2014
I should have played OPEC for points last turn and used Europe Scoring as my AR1 . I might have had enough points to win.
Ah well, the great struggle goes on!
Iron Weasel on
Currently Playing:
The Division, Warframe (XB1)
GT: Tanith 6227
Flying from New York City, to Seoul, South Korea, the doomed Korean Airlines Flight 007 strayed into Soviet Airspace due to a navigational error involving the plane’s autopilot system. While the Soviets contemporaneously claimed that they did not know that plane was civilian, tape releases after the Cold War indicate that little if any warning was given to the airliner. The Reagan administration rallied global reaction against the Soviets—even playing decoded messages before the UN Security Council. 269 passengers and crew were killed during the attack, including one member of Congress.
Brinksmanship was a term coined by John Foster Dulles to describe a policy of coming close to war, without falling into the abyss. At different times, during different crises, this policy was pursued by both superpowers. However, there was always the danger that brinksmanship could turn the “cold” war, hot. Additionally, brinksmanship encouraged a nuclear posture of “launch on warning.” Game theory demanded that if your opponent were launching a massive nuclear strike, you would have to launch your own weapons before they could be destroyed in their silos. These doctrines shortened reaction times of world leaders from hours to minutes. On November 9th, 1979, the United States made preparations for a retaliatory nuclear strike when a NORAD computer glitch indicated an all-out Soviet strike had been launched. As recently as 1995, Russia mistook a Norwegian scientific missile launch for an attack, and Boris Yeltsin was asked to decide whether or not to counterattack.
*** Soviet plays Wargames* Event ***
Soviet may immediately end the game after giving American player 6 VPs.
* U.S. gains 6 VPs.
* Soviet changes VPs to 0 Victory Points.
!!! Game is tied !!!
You may now play chess.
Good game and well played @Iron Weasel, you conniving Russkie! This was definitely an interesting experience and I would definitely be interested in an another go around. Also many thanks to @stever777 for running this and @Preda for humoring this novice's questions and showing him the ropes.
Good game and well played @Iron Weasel, you conniving Russkie! This was definitely an interesting experience and I would definitely be interested in an another go around. Also many thanks to @stever777 for running this and @Preda for humoring this novice's questions and showing him the ropes.
@Kirindal
Do you mean just another TS game or this crazy "you-never-get-the-enemy's-cards" version?
Posts
+2 Venezuela.
@Preda @Kirindal
The Division, Warframe (XB1)
GT: Tanith 6227
Coup Guatemala
@stever777
Cambridge Five for Ops
+3 Gulf States
The Division, Warframe (XB1)
GT: Tanith 6227
The People’s Republic of China played a pivotal role during the Cold War. While the PRC’s influence was largely limited to satellites in Asia, the country was important to the uneasy balance of power that ultimately descended upon the post-WWII world. While beginning as an ally of the USSR, China became a counter-balance to Soviet influence in Asia during the later stages of the Cold War.
Summits between the leadership of the superpowers became major implements of public diplomacy from the mid to late Cold War. Success was measured in terms of agenda items secured, treaties signed, and who was tougher on whom. As in an international boxing match, non-aligned countries watched from the sidelines trying to discern which power was in the ascendant. Virtually all major arms control agreements were either initiated or concluded at a summit. In that sense, they were an important tool for sizing up relative intentions, and ensuring the Cold War did not become hot.
A trade union movement originating in the Polish shipyards of Gdansk, Solidarity became the focal point for anti-communist resistance within the Eastern bloc. Solidarity quickly moved beyond a simple worker’s movement and rallied pro-Catholic, intellectuals and other social dissidents to its banner. Its toleration within a Warsaw Pact nation was unprecedented, and involved a cat and mouse game heavily reliant on public scrutiny of Soviet intentions, the prestige of the Polish Pope, John Paul II, and the political courage of its leader Lech Walesa. While Poland’s communist led government under Wojciech Jaruzelski did crack down on Solidarity and imprison much of its leadership, the organization went underground and began to regrow. By 1988, Solidarity led strikes had forced the Polish Communists into open negotiations.
The United Nations remained generally unable to influence the struggle between the superpowers due to Security Council veto power throughout the Cold War. However, it occasionally stood as a gauge for world opinion, and could mediate in stalled conflicts throughout the Third World. It was also the backdrop for a number of quintessential moments of the conflict, including the Soviet Korean War walkout, the “We Will Bury You” speech, and of course, the Cuban Missile Crisis—don’t wait for the translation Mr. Zorin!
Not a concept unique to the Cold War, the term “puppet governments” refers to a regime that holds power due to, and with the support of, either the Soviet Union or the United States. A derisive term, it is almost always used by the opponents of a state to undermine the government’s legitimacy. Both the Soviets and the Americans would apply the term to any closely allied state, but it might be better understood in the context of the Diem government in South Vietnam or Mariam government of Ethiopia.
*** American initiates coup in Guatemala with 2 Ops.
* U.S. Die = [1] *** <American>
* American changes American Military Ops to 2.
* Removing 1 Soviet Influence from Guatemala.
@Iron Weasel
You've already played Cambridge Five this turn.
Please play another card.
The Black Hole of Cygnus X-1
OPEC for Ops
+3 Gulf States
+1 Poland
The Division, Warframe (XB1)
GT: Tanith 6227
@Iron Weasel
Founded to allow oil producing countries to have more control over the price of oil, and thereby state revenues, OPEC has grown into an institution that controls two-thirds of the world’s oil reserves and generates roughly half of the world’s oil exports. The creation of OPEC was a major blow to the control of the global oil market by the Western giants like Exxon and British Petroleum. While OPEC does include non-Middle Eastern countries such as Venezuela, Indonesia and Nigeria, it is heavily dominated by countries from that region. As a result, OPEC has intervened in the political crises there. Most famously, OPEC refused oil exports to Western countries supporting Israel in the Yom Kippur (or October) War. This resulted in a 400% increase in oil prices and required rationing in the West.
The E3 “AWACS” aircraft is one of the most sophisticated early command and surveillance platforms available to the United States Air Force. Imagine Congress’ surprise when President Ronald Reagan announced plans to sell 5 of them to Saudi Arabia after they have only recently entered service in the United States. The “Airborne Warning and Control System” sale was, at that time, the largest military sale ever. While it met with Congressional resistance, as well as resistance from the Israeli government, ultimately, the objective was to cement Saudi Arabia as the US new anchor against Tehran. The high profile political risk associated with this arms sale would draw the two governments together long after the Cold War was over.
* DefCon to 3.
* Coups and realignments now allowed in MiddleEast.
PM me your Headline cards for the Reagan turn.
The Black Hole of Cygnus X-1
The US Congress passed into law the Federal Civil Defense Act, in reaction to the first Soviet tests of nuclear weapons in 1949. Duck and Cover is perhaps the most memorable of a variety of civil defense efforts to raise awareness of nuclear attack. Ironically, such films may have assisted in increasing the possibility of nuclear war by making the possibility of such a conflict “thinkable” by the general public.
The Pershing II missile was designed as a direct counter to the Soviet Intermediate Range Missile, the SS-20. The deployment of 108 of these missiles in West Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom proved a major test for NATO’s resolve. Public protests against the deployments were massive. However, despite the strains, the weapons were deployed, providing NATO with a bargaining chip in the proposed Intermediate range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty discussions. These negotiations had been suspended in 1983, and the successful deployment of the Pershing II’s provided impetus for restarting the talks in 1985. Ultimately, the talks would succeed at the Reykjavik summit in Iceland in 1986.
DefCon to 2.
Coups and realignments not allowed in MiddleEast.
Americans gain 3 VPs.
Soviets gain 1 VP & may remove Influence.
Then, Soviet AR1.
The Black Hole of Cygnus X-1
-1 France
-1 Turkey
AR 1: Muslim Revolutions for Ops
+2 Italy
+1 France
@Preda @Kirindal
The Division, Warframe (XB1)
GT: Tanith 6227
The Division, Warframe (XB1)
GT: Tanith 6227
As secular Arab and Muslim states throughout the Middle East displayed corruption, repression and incompetence, more radical forms of Islam began to come to the fore. The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt, sought to topple the secular regime there and in Syria. This led to further cycles of repression and authoritarian rule within these countries. A similar cycle took place in Iran under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. A long standing regional ally of the United States, and the West generally, the Shah was deposed by a popular revolution led by the anti-western Ayatollah Khomeini. This ushered in the world’s first contemporary theocracy. Iran’s Mullahs would spend the rest of the 20th Century in efforts to export their revolution to other Shia Muslim communities.
American AR 1
The Black Hole of Cygnus X-1
Soviets Shoot Down KAL-007 for Ops
+2 France
+2 Italy
@Iron Weasel
Wargames for the event
It's a tie!
GG @Kirindal and @Preda
Thanks to @stever777 for running this crazy long game.
The Division, Warframe (XB1)
GT: Tanith 6227
A bit of a coward move, but the right one, seen that all the map was on our side (or would have be a few rounds) excluding South America. I would have done it too.
GG @Iron Weasel and thanks @stever777 for hosting. The format changed subtantially the game playing and was interesting.
This dragged long partially because I wanted Kirindal to call the moves, since he was new to the game. I only suggested the possible combination of moves and lket him make the final call.
Ah well, the great struggle goes on!
The Division, Warframe (XB1)
GT: Tanith 6227
Flying from New York City, to Seoul, South Korea, the doomed Korean Airlines Flight 007 strayed into Soviet Airspace due to a navigational error involving the plane’s autopilot system. While the Soviets contemporaneously claimed that they did not know that plane was civilian, tape releases after the Cold War indicate that little if any warning was given to the airliner. The Reagan administration rallied global reaction against the Soviets—even playing decoded messages before the UN Security Council. 269 passengers and crew were killed during the attack, including one member of Congress.
Brinksmanship was a term coined by John Foster Dulles to describe a policy of coming close to war, without falling into the abyss. At different times, during different crises, this policy was pursued by both superpowers. However, there was always the danger that brinksmanship could turn the “cold” war, hot. Additionally, brinksmanship encouraged a nuclear posture of “launch on warning.” Game theory demanded that if your opponent were launching a massive nuclear strike, you would have to launch your own weapons before they could be destroyed in their silos. These doctrines shortened reaction times of world leaders from hours to minutes. On November 9th, 1979, the United States made preparations for a retaliatory nuclear strike when a NORAD computer glitch indicated an all-out Soviet strike had been launched. As recently as 1995, Russia mistook a Norwegian scientific missile launch for an attack, and Boris Yeltsin was asked to decide whether or not to counterattack.
*** Soviet plays Wargames* Event ***
Soviet may immediately end the game after giving American player 6 VPs.
* U.S. gains 6 VPs.
* Soviet changes VPs to 0 Victory Points.
!!! Game is tied !!!
You may now play chess.
The Black Hole of Cygnus X-1
US hand -
The Black Hole of Cygnus X-1
A draw??!!
After all this time!!
Well, I guess Gorby saw the writing on the wall...
As expected, pretty much no interest in the Space Race.
I won't be running this version again unless there's a call for it.
The VASSAL mod is too restrictive for unusual card play.
See ya on the Moon!
The Black Hole of Cygnus X-1
@Kirindal
Do you mean just another TS game or this crazy "you-never-get-the-enemy's-cards" version?
The Black Hole of Cygnus X-1