Lesson Idea: The WWI Game

In history, the Great War was hardly the "war to end all wars" as President Wilson so eloquently put it. It set into motion an even deadlier conflict 30 years after the signing of the treaty and would forever alter the makeup of Europe and the Middle East. However, today it has become some sort of "forgotten war"; basically, Hollywood and other medias have decided that it isn't as exciting as Vietnam or WWII, so it stays out of most movies or TV shows. When I visited DC 4 years ago, the memorial to its veterans (who have all since passed away) was in complete shambles, and completely obscured by the rest of the mall. So, how can we get history students to remember the First World War? Why, make it into a game, of course!

While you may think this is similar to the Lesson Idea "Revolutionary War Game", you'd be wrong. That game was aimed more at elementary students and even middle schoolers, who could still be expected to play large games to learn history. No, the WWI Game is more of a lesson for high schoolers, especially those in AP World/US History, who could better connect the historical references to their real-world counterparts AND be expected to make crucial strategies. Also, no teachers will be involved in this game; it will be completely student lead.

First, you'll need the students to form 6 groups; these will represent the six countries on the continent "Neillyland" (named after my AP World teacher); an island somewhere in Europe. You can draw the map of this continent based on the following descriptions. They are as follows:

Penland-The biggest country on the map. They have two rivers across their borders, the Makeshift and the Southern Rivers; they are in a dispute over the mouth of the latter with a country named York (draw York's border around this mouth). Recently, a smaller country named Bakhan declared independence and now occupies the northeastern corner of Penland. They have the biggest army, a fair sized navy, and are relatively wealthy; they are also allied with Morovia. They represent the Kingdom of Germany.
Bakhan-A country formed off the corner of Penland. As a newer country, they are the poorest, but have a good navy and a fair army. They are allied with Sovetan, and have a bitter rivalry with Penland. They represent Serbia, Poland, and other "new countries" of WWI.
Morovia- The only landlocked country. Due to this, they have no navy, but a fairly wealthy with a fair army. Their alliance with Penland has been strained, but they continue to be partnered with them due to fear of retribution. They are desperately competing with York and Mercia for a trade post in Asia, and have bitter rivalries with them over river access. They represent the Austria-Hungarian Empire.
Sovetan/Russola- The second largest country, located directly south of Penland. They own over half of the southern coastline and control access to the Southern River; they have been sought out for alliances by York, Mercia, and Morovia for this access. They have the fair Navy, but the poorest army, and are also very poor in wealth. Due to this, many civilians are beginning to become restless and call for revolution. They have allied with Bakhan to keep Penland from denying them trading rights. They represent the Tsardom of Russia.
York-The country west of Sovetan and controller of the Eastern coast. They have owned the mouth of the Makeshift River for years, but recently Penland has decided that they want it, leading to conflict. Their alliance with Mercia is to keep Morovia and Penland away from the coast and river, but they have bickered over access to Asia. They have a good navy, poor army, and are generally wealthy. They represent France.
Mercia-The country located above York. At this point, you should know their problems with York, Morovia, and Penland. The have the largest and best Navy, a good army, and are the richest country. The represent the United Kingdom.

You're probably wondering why I kept mentioning armies, navies, and wealth. Well, the point of this game is for these countries to try and stay at peace no matter what is thrown on the board. It's basically an experiment to see if the students will be able to "change history" and avoid war unlike what actually happened in WWI. But, if a country calls on another to live up to their alliance, IT MUST BE LIVED UP TO. Students can ally with more than just the pre-required countries, and break some off, but when your friends need help, you must help them; only in between turns can alliances be made/broken. There will be several events that occur in-game for the students to decide over. These are the main ones:

• Penland, under the cover of night, mobilizes troops to enter Bakhan. They claim it is only an exercize, but Bakhan officials state they are trying to take over the capital city. A rebel group in Bakhan has also killed Penland's ambassador, inciting violence within the country. Sovetan reports that Penlandian troops are heading towards their northern borders. All six countries must make press releases to decide on how to act to these events.
• (If the countries remain at peace in turn 1) Morovia has made the decision to allow troops into their borders to "train" (if they had broken off with Penland before this turn, say it has been forced). In the meantime, fighting has broken out on the mouth of the Makeshift River, and York calls on their allies for help. Countries once again make decisions and create press releases on their actions.
• (If countries remain at peace in turn 2) Revolution! The government of Sovetan has been overthrown, and a socialist one has been put in its place. Renamed Russola, they withdraw their alliances from Bakhan and other countries and become neutral. Penland decides to increase troop presence in Bakhan, and officials report that the capital city has been taken. Repeat steps from turns 1-2.

If all of the countries still have all remained at peace by this turn, the game is found in a draw. However, this shouldn't be possible; by at least Turn 2 the countries should declare war on each other and mobilize their secret alliances to aid them. From what I've found, all of the countries will turn on Penland, and the game will be over quickly. But the students should now understand how hard it was for Europe to even try avoiding war in the early 20th century; it was nearly impossible due to the relationships set up in that time. You can use this outcome to also teach how WWI was remembered as the Great War; it truly was the largest war in the world at the time. It should be remembered as the beginning of the modern era; hopefully, this game will help your students get there.

-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep