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In the year 1900, Poland is considerably smaller than it is now, and it is a part of the Russian Empire. The Tsar, however, does not like the word Poland, since it implies that there is an independent nation with a great history that has been violently conquered and illegaly added to the Russian Empire. To avoid this one-sided connotation that reeks of anti-Monarchism, he named his province after its capital, and so it came that, on the Diplomacy board, the area is referred to as "Warsaw". (OK, I admit that the name also fits into Allan Calhamer's pattern of naming supply centers after cities and other provinces after regions - but I'm quite sure this is because he was a monarchist, after all.) In any case, Warsaw is a supply center, and it is adjacent to six provinces in three states: Livonia, Moscow, Ukraine (Russia), Galicia (Austria), Prussia, and Silesia (Germany). This makes it a pivotal point in the strategies of the three countries, or, as the U.S. Ambassador to Poland put it in a much more eloquent description, "A part of the decision making process that shapes the continent." Good TimesIn 1900, the blessings of our modern transport technologies - such as supersonic aircraft, amphibious vehicles, or carpool lanes - have not yet descended upon Europe, let alone on Poland, where we find shocking conditions up to the present age: thanks to the information sheet handed out by the U.S. State Department, we are informed that "roads are generally narrow, badly lit, frequently under repair, especially in the summer months, and are often also used by pedestrians and animals." It goes to say that the army which is quartered in the town in 1900 will meet severe difficulties, should it attempt on its own to push the Russian frontier farther West. To stage a fast, surprising, and successfull attack, it will need assistance. Therefore, we should consider the role of Warsaw with regard to the Tsar's overall offensive strategy. Russia starts out with four supply centers and four direct neighbors, so it can chose from a multitude of options. In the North, the Tsar should be careful not to provoke an English or German attack right from the start. This should not be very difficult, since the Western powers normally concentrate on their triangle in 1901. However, it is crucial that Germany be convinced not to bounce Bot-Swe in F1901. In the South, Russia has two options: RA against T or RT against A. Of course, there is a third option, AT against R, which must be avoided at all costs, since it is highly improbable that Russia can survive an attack from both of its Southern neighbors. We will revert to this option in the "defense" section. The most promising strategy for any Tsar is to form an alliance with Austria against Turkey, or vice versa, in 1901. In a juggernaut, Warsaw is almost always ordered into Gal in S1901, either to bounce an invading Austrian army or to get a hold on the Austrian supply centers, Vie and Bud. As a German attack on Warsaw very rarely occurs in the first year, the Tsar tends to neglect this province while he is planning the war against Austria. In the winter of 1901, however, the question arises where to build. Sev would upset the Tsar's ally, Mos is far from any front, so Warsaw and StP are the most likely choices. A build in War indicates that Russia plans to attack Germany in 1902. In an alliance with Austria, the Warsaw army usually moves into Ukr in the first move. If the Tsar expects Turkey to attack Sev with all its units, he will need a third army to defend Sev and secure Rum. Whereas, if he doesn't expect an army in Arm, he can move Mos-StP to underscore its ambitions in the North. Again, he will need War-Ukr to ensure that, in the fall move, Sev-Rum is successful even if one of his neighbors attempts to bounce the move. The Russian builds will usually be directed against Turkey and England, so that, if Germany doesn't threaten the central front, a build in War is unlikely to occur. As soon as one of Russia's southern neighbors is considerably weakened, the Tsar will draw the attention of the Western powers. They are afraid of a juggernaut, or a similar strategy pursued by an RA alliance. The Tsar now has two options: To continue the alliance with his neighbor and to reach a stalemate position before the other powers have realized the threat and united to defend it, or to cooperate with one or two of the other powers (notably, England, Germany, and Italy) and to stage an unexpected stab against his friend. In any case, Warsaw will become very important to the Tsar. If he decides to stab his neighbor, he will need Warsaw to secure his western frontier. If he moves West, Warsaw is the best place to build new units, since it is near most of the stalemate lines that can be defended against an RA or an RT alliance. Once Russia has reached the endgame, Warsaw becomes its most important supply center anyway, since Russia is essentially a land power. In order to reach 18 centers, a Tsar has to send many armies to the West and South-West. Warsaw is located almost in the center of the map and thus, is a perfect place to build these armies. Bad Times"Do you feel safe in Warsaw?" This is indeed a question that might become interesting for the Tsar. If his bold plans have met determined opposition from more than one of his four neighbors, his units will have to consider defensive strategies as well. In an internet poll of the magazine "Warsaw Voice", this question was posed to the English-speaking inhabitants of the city; not everyone felt really safe: 41% answered, "day and night", an almost equal number felt safe "day only", and 21% even stated they "never" feel safe. The latter group may increase significantly if as much as three of the Tsar's neighbors behave hostile towards his country. Since it is unlikely that the restrictions issued by the Polish Embassy in the U.S. ("Firearms may be brought in for hunting and other licensed purposes, subject to appropriate permits.") will make a deep impression on enemy hordes in Silesia, Galicia, or the Baltic Sea, we should now consider the role Warsaw can play in defensive strategies. To begin with the worst case scenario: if Austria and Turkey agree to attack Russia right from the start, the Tsar will have to focus on defending his homeland until help arrives. Sev will be the first center to fall, and if he has to abandon another of his home centers, it will have to be Warsaw, since it is crucial not to lose Mos. At the beginning, Germany usually is not interested in Warsaw. There are three neutral supply centers and two potential enemies in the West, so the Kaiser tends to agree on a DMZ in Silesia and Prussia until the situation in the Western triangle is clear. However, as soon as he has found an ally and weakened the third Western power, he will have to look for new supply centers, and Warsaw will usually be one of the first targets. If 1901 has been a good year for him, he is able to build armies in Munich and Berlin and launch a supported attack on Warsaw as early as 1902. If there is an English-German alliance, the attack on the Tsar will probably include a fleet in the Baltic Sea which might convoy an army to Livonia. In this case, A War might have to help defend this soft spot. Pathetic ConclusionHaving had to chose between one of the two sorts of effective conclusions - the pathetic ones and the humorous ones - I have decided to combine both. This daring attempt is symbolized by the headline of this chapter, which ironically undermines your expectations and therefore is humorous. Cunning, isn't it? Now you will argue, with some right, that the conclusion up to now has only been humorous, because pathos is not created by merely mentioning it in the headline. Therefore, I once again refer to the U.S. Ambassador to Poland for the pathetic part, which shall also bring us back to our topic. The Ambassador gives us the reason why Warsaw is a great region that you'll have to reckon with in your next game of diplomacy: it is "the qualities of Polish life we so admire: the energy of its people, their refusal ever to admit defeat, their solidarity with others, their humanism, and their sheer courage through the centuries." Any questions?
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