"SYW diplomacy game" Topic

The military history club that I advise at our school has teamed up with our model un club and tomorrow they will restate the Seven Years War. Students are either diplomats, generals or head of state. There are three theaters of war- Europe, America, India. Game begins in 1755 with the alliances that historically existed- after that, it's up to them! All diplomatic messages get passed through an umpire who can delay or lose the message. Generals can engage in combat by moving fleets or armies on one of three giant map boards. Combat is resolved based upon national ratings, morale, supply, modifiers and a die roll. We begin at 8 and by 2 we will have a grand treaty of Paris to decide the winners. 60 kids playing. They have become very aware of the history of the SYW, but are trying to avoid history's mistakes. Sweden is planning to swap neutrality with Prussia for all of Pomerania. Austria is already in hot negotiation with England. Mughals are a wild card. France wants to get Spain in the war early and jointly invade Ireland. Should be fun.

I would suggest as fairly recent books:
Baugh, D The Global Seven Years War
Dull, J The French Navy in the Seven Years War
Both of the above provide an indispensable review of the complex Diplomatic Revolution and French war aims which you will not find elsewhere in English.

Danley, M ed. The Seven Years War – Global Views is an important series of essays (some great, some not so much!) The book is $245 USD so I would advise interlibrary loan.

The whole game went very well, but Austria and Spain took a terrible beating. Sweden switched sides and gained a bit on the Baltic coast. French North America fell but the Iroquois ended stronger when they began. The most unhistoric part was France opting out of the war in the east. Mughals were thoroughly trounced.

Sounds great – living history indeed! Having taken part in a similar, though more limited exercise about the Cold War during my university years, I can assure you that those kids will remember the experience long after they've forgotten most of what they were taught in class…