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Politics Foreign Affairs Culture Fellows Program

The Great Diplomat Dies

Allan Calhamer, the man who invented the best board game of all time, Diplomacy, has died. Excerpt: Originally called Realpolitik, Diplomacy was invented in 1952 when Calhamer was a 20-year-old student of Diplomatic History at Harvard. Released commercially in 1959, the game features a map of pre-First World War Europe, with each player (ideally seven) […]

Allan Calhamer, the man who invented the best board game of all time, Diplomacy, has died. Excerpt:

Originally called Realpolitik, Diplomacy was invented in 1952 when Calhamer was a 20-year-old student of Diplomatic History at Harvard. Released commercially in 1959, the game features a map of pre-First World War Europe, with each player (ideally seven) representing one of the Great Powers: Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary, Russia and Turkey.

Unlike more conventional games, Diplomacy leaves nothing to chance: there are no dice, just small wooden blocks representing armies and naval fleets.

Play consists of alternating phases of negotiation (when players go into furtive huddles, form alliances and plot ) and action (when players simultaneously write their instructions on a piece of paper). The instructions are then revealed, and moves executed — typically to cries of “You promised me you would attack Berlin!” or “I don’t believe it, my best friend has just taken Paris from me!”

I haven’t played Diplomacy in years. Reading Calhamer’s obituary made me realize that I now have a son old enough to play it with me. Joy! God bless Allan Calhamer, whose game has given me so much pleasure.

Hey Diplomacy fans, which is your favorite country to play? When I was learning the game, I loved playing Turkey, which was straightforward. I now like playing France, provided I don’t have to worry about perfidious Albion, at least not in the early rounds. Everybody knows Italy is the worst country to play, but I have never had much luck playing Germany.

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