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OK, before we get too much into this penetrating analysis of the wonderous world of Kiel, time for a pop quiz. What is the biggest advantage to playing Germany? Some might say the proximity to three neutral supply centers in 1901, the capture of which Germany is often able to pull off. Such people would have made a decent guess, but essentially a wrong one. What’s that you say? Germany is close to the stalemate line and thus is pivotal to the outcome of the game? True enough, particularly with respect to Munich – but this makes Germany a big time target in the Mid to Endgame. The strength of being close to the stalemate line is that Germany is in a better position than, say England or Turkey, to actually reach 18 centers because it can poke into both sides of the stalemate line to look for those last couple of dots. However, this is still not the right answer. OK, time’s up. The answer is flexibility. No, Germany’s options are not completely unlimited, but it has a certain level of strategic flexibility, with supply center targets attached, that England or Italy or others simply do not have. It is a legitimate strategy, and winning one if done correctly, for Germany to attack England or France in the beginning, and Russia by late 1902 or early 1903. A unit sent into Austria or sub-Warsaw Russia can really turn the tables against whomever is rising in the east in, say 1904 or so. The ability of Germany to go in several different directions, with the correct diplomacy of course, is the best arrow in the German quiver. Why does Germany have this flexibility? Because of Kiel, of course. Perhaps I should say because of the Kiel Canal. The real key for Germany is to be able to switch quickly from one thing to another. This happens both in building and in regular movement. A fleet in Kiel can sail into either the Russian theater or the English theater with equal importance. A build of F Kiel can be justified to the English as anti-Russian, and vice versa. Armies in Scandinavia can come home through Kiel also. In 1901 the fleet in Kiel is especially important. Its movement is critical to the early game in the west. Obviously one point is that the unit can go to Denmark and then deny Russia the Swedish build (or parlay that power into getting the Russians to move against England, which is usually my preferred strategy.) On the other hand, the fleet can go to Denmark and then go out to the North Sea, with support or not depending upon the English and French moves. This can either kill England or bottle up an English fleet transfer for another turn. Of course, the fleet could be ordered to Holland instead, to set up a supported attack on Belgium in the fall. All of these can be powerful moves. A common mistake I see newer players make is to play Diplomacy in too defensive a manner. This is overwhelmingly true in the play of Germany. Sometimes the German gets way too cautious about protecting things, both in the early and late stages of the game. In 1901/1902, for example, Germany gets too caught up in trying to keep someone from slipping into Munich, to the point of giving up easy builds to protect against the mere possibility that the Italian guy might come in from Tyrolia. Don’t do this. Why not? Yes, the answer is again Kiel. If someone slips in, it is usually not too hard to kick them out in Spring 1902 after a build in Kiel and/or Berlin. Kiel is pretty important in the early game, as shown. It is also critical later in the game when the fight can come down to Munich and a few other critical parts of the stalemate line. Kiel is important here because Germany sometimes will need a place to build, which cannot be Munich (given the fight over the center, it is usually not open). Berlin is also usually adjacent to enemy units in Prussia and/or Silesia, or at least has a unit already in it providing support for Munich or Silesia. That leaves good old Kiel. . . . . . . . . .Alright, let me end by departing from the topic. No one has done more to promote this hobby of ours than Manus Hand for at least the last five years or so. No one deserves more praise and thanks from Dipdom than Manus Hand. I, for one, am absolutely thrilled to have the chance to honor him in print. Thanks Manus!
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