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Perhaps if Tunis were still known by its ancient name, Carthage, it would get more respect. From Hannibal’s historic defeat at Zama (near today’s Maktar) by the Romans in 2002, to the near disaster suffered by the Allies at the Kasserine Pass in 1943 (Question for the serious war gaming fan. What is the historical significance of this battle? Answer at the end of this article.) at the hands of Rommel’s Afrika Corps, to the complete Allied victory in Tunisia in May 1943, people have been fighting over this small but strategically important country. Today, the nearly ten million Tunisians fight off the annual invasion of some five million tourists, many of them French. By contrast, the Serene Republic of San Marino receives approximately three million visitors a year, most of them stamp or coin collectors. Few small countries combine in one package as much history and physical beauty as does Tunisia. The almost tropical coastlines, the mountains, the deserts, and the myriad spots of historical, archeological and cultural interest make this a MUST SEE destination for travelers. And, Thank God, most Americans haven’t discovered it yet! Even the cruise ships have passed this lovely port by. Only 30 out of some 2,000 scheduled cruises stop in Tunis. The board gamer’s interest in Tunisia begin with the Punic War games (Hannibal vs. Everybody) and end with the North African campaigns of WWII. At one time or another I think every board game manufacturer, designer, and player has tackled these subjects. And new games continue to appear, be bought, be played, and be enjoyed. In Diplomacy Tunis, technically the city and national capital but used to identify the entire country on the map board, is a relatively isolated space and a fairly minor supply center. Still, in the underlying geo-political scheme of things that is the foundation of Calhamer’s classic, Tunis in the south and the Barents in the north form the pivotal points on which much of the mid board and mid game revolve. When any side, east or west, north or south, moves much beyond the line that includes Tunis and the Barents, the balance of power begins to shift toward victory for one or the other. In the Mediterranean, Tunis; bordered by North Africa on the west, the Western Mediterranean on the northwest, the Tyrrhenian on the northeast, and the Ionian on the east, is a key point, perhaps even the fulcrum point (e.g. The point on the ship between which balances the weight of the ship and the weight of the load being carried.) on which control of the central Mediterranean rests. Tunis is most important to Italy, of course, for several reasons:
For powers to the east (Austria, Turkey, or perhaps Russia) moving west, the capture of Tunis represents a benchmark on the voyage to Mediterranean domination. Holding Tunis doesn’t guarantee success in an Italian campaign or a successful expansion into the Western Mediterranean, Iberia, etc. but not capturing it almost certainly limits such possibilities. For powers to the west (France and England) moving east, the capture of Tunis represents the first real tangible gains in a campaign against Italy, unless Italy has already been conquered by one of her eastern neighbors. Again, the significance in the capture lies more in the promise of future gains rather than the value of the one supply center it represents. For any power attempting to defend or attack the Ionian Tunis, along with Naples and Greece, represents a Gordian knot of tactical and strategic challenges. Interestingly, I think, most battles over the Ionian tend to follow one of two paths: a long, drawn out tactical battle or a short, easy and swift occupation and moving on to other targets. Good strategy and diplomacy makes the second result the likely one. Poor tactics and strategy guarantees the first. And, looking beyond the spaces adjacent to it, Tunis can be used to launch an attack into the Atlantic or Iberia (How many times have you seen a fleet slide into Tunis, move into North Africa, and then enter the Mid Atlantic to raise havoc?) to the west, or into the Balkans or even Turkey. For more than one Italian player the path to victory has sailed through Tunis. The supply center located in the space is an added inducement, of course, elevating Tunis above Albania, for example, in the grand scheme of things, and when you just need a center or two for the win, it becomes very important indeed. Thus we see Tunis sitting there, tantalizing us with her beauty and importance. I know. In a few weeks I’ll be cruising the Western Mediterranean, the Tyrrhenian, and the Ionian, but Tunis will remain beyond my grasp, just as it has in more Diplomacy games than I care to remember. Footnote: Kasserine Pass is the only important battle fought by the Allied Armed Forces --- either in WWII or since that time --- without enjoying air superiority.
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