"Interwar where to start and what to game?" Topic

I love all the Copplestone Casting Back of Beyond figures but really do not have much knowledge as to how one would use these figures for war games. Obviously there is the Russian Civil War and the struggles in China among various warlords. But I am not sure where to begin my reading on the topic or if if collecting this era/genre would be an entertaining and engaging project. Please share your experience, knowledge, and thoughts as well as what miniatures and rule systems. I know some of this might fall into the Very British Civil War vein or other alt histories.

As an introduction to warlord China, I recommend From Emperor to Citizen by Pu Yi.

Of course it's not a comprehensive history. It's an autobiography, personal and impressionistic, even if constrained by communist ideology. What it is, is pure pulp. If you finish it and want more, then wargaming revolutionary China may be for you.

For an introduction to the Russian Civil War in Central Asia, try Setting The East Ablaze by Peter Hopkirk.

LT

I'd throw in Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell for a personalize view of the Spanish Civil War. And I just saw some figures for it in 20mm too.

Kim, I have a huge library of Russian Civil War books.

The RCW would allow you to play in all sorts of climates, locations, and emerging technologies. I prefer battles not skirmishes, but this period will work for both.

Send me an email and we can discuss this more.

Eric Burgess

QC I think you are thinking in the same vein that I am. Still I like to know some of the history just so there is some context. Please keep the ideas coming gang I am learning a lot already.

This is an excellent one-stop volume for at least some of the areas you mentioned in the OP : link

Oh – and there are lots of inspiring Ospreys as well.

What kind of scale are you thinking of, whitemanticore? If skirmish level you really have the whole world to pick from. Opium, rum, Bolshevism, freelance archaeology – weird Himmler types commissioning searches or seeking to steal metaphysical relics and knowledge. Note they don't have to be -real-, just thought to be.

Anything.

If you are looking at doing it big, the SCW ad Chaco Wars come to mind; any number of political upheavals.

It is a very personal choice I think. I'd opt for something along the Silk Road and the Himilayas, because they are so exotic to me.

You could even run into Dr. Jones. :-)

I would recommend you check out this book,

link

it's about an insane Russian nobleman who became a shaman and khan of Mongolia during the RCW, leading his mounted hordes against the reds (or anyone in sight) until his own men turned against him, sick of his butchery… Copplestone makes excellent figures for this including the Baron himself!

Intrepide I have my eyes on the Copplestone Back of Beyond range and other 28mm figures. Plus I love the interwar armored cars and tanks of this time although that would be something used rarely I think for the size games I am considering. Great sources 20thMaine and Glengarry5! And I had not thought of the Osprey books as a source.

Yes, there were countless skirmishes during the Mexican Revolution, concentrated primarily in the guerilla phases of each campaign (1910 – 1911, early 1913, and post 1915), but there were also very many battles of from brigade to division level, and a few at effectively corps level at the apex of Pancho Villa's power in 1915.

For the history of the Chinese Warlord campaigns there are a couple of readily accessible English language books of recent provenance: 'China's Wars, 1894 – 1949' by Stephen Jowett, and a very similar title by an author I believe is called Deyer or Dreyer (I skimmed this at the library recently but didn't record any details).

If you're serious about this subject, for the software and hardware you'll need Jowett's very comprehensive 'Armies of Warlord China, 1911 – 1928', published by Schiffer. If you're not quite so passionate, you could get by with his Osprey on the subject.

Also well worth a read for its evocation of the character and military and social dynamics of the period is 'Warlord Soldiers: Chinese common soldiers 1911-37', by Diana Lary, which, I imagine, was probably one of Jowett's sources.

The back of beyond stuff is more aimed at entertaining period/pulp adventure type stuff.

My interwar gaming is much more pedestrian, RCW, Russo Polish War, Spanish Civil War. Archaic tanks, planes and armoured trains etc.

For Russian/central Asia/Chinese conflicts in 1918-late 1920's which is what the Copplestone stuff is aimed at, some select reading:

Setting the East Ablaze (Hopkirk), general background and a MUST HAVE

The Spy Who Disappeared (Teague-Jones, ed Hopkirk) Caucasus and Trans Caspian adventures

White Terror – Warlords on the TranSiberian (Bisher), Siberia

The Bloody White Baron (Palmer), mad Russian Baron things he's a reincarnation of Genghis Khan, conquers Mongolia

Sand Against the Wind (Tuchman), Stilwel and the American experience in China 1911-45

Beasts, Men and Gods (Ossendowski)

Hunted through Central Asia (Nazaroff)

Dragon Hunter (Gallenkamp), Roy Chapman Andrews' archaeological expeditions in Mongolia and China in the 1920's – think Indiana Jones

Then there is the usual Ospreys, the Red and White Army books are essential. The armoured vehicles give more info and there's the Czech Army book as well. More specialised books based on the Osprey style are available from militaryhistorybooks.com

At this point I'll mention Mark Plants "Pygmy Wars" website which is a mine of information.

Then you also have the Ango-Afghan war you can do as well.

For warlord era China, others have more experience and suggestion, but the Osprey Chinese Army books give you a starting point, as does Stilwel's experiences.

Bob Murch's Pulp Adventure figures are very useful for this location, and in general for providing Chinese and Adventurer types. They're compatible with Copplestone.

Brigade also do loads of figures that are suitable for RCW/BoB and they are nice and compatible with Copplestone.

Other inter-War periods are:
- the Chaco war, Bolivia vs Paraguay
- Spanish Civil War
- A Very British Civil War (totally made up)

As for games systems:

Contemptible Little Armies, includes army lists for BoB
Setting the East Ablaze (yes that's a rule set, can't think where they got the name from)
A World Ablaze (from Osprey)

Various WW1 era rulesets are also used, I haven't ever played these, and some late colonial rulests are also used (ditto)

A mate of mine is bashing out a variant of "Went the Day Well?" called "Went the Revolution Well?" and its going to get its first big outing Sat 31st at a big game I'm organising in Herefordshire (UK).

HTH
Giles