This game covers the French insurgency war against FLN in Algeria during 1954-62. It is a conflict of great drama. It cost the lives of at least half a million Algerians, it brought the tumultuous exodus of one million French settlers from Algeria and it brought France itself to the brink of civil war. But to be portrayed as a game has its difficulties, though. How do you recreate the fact that the side which lost militarily won the war? How do you make it interesting to play when FLN never succeeded in creating an army, like the Viet Minh did in the Indochina war, and therefore was never able to rival the French?
To address this, the game contains “three games” within the game: A political, an insurgency and a military game. Politics are driven by chits which alter four parameters: FLN structure; Algerian population; Pied noir feelings (the French settlers in Algeria) and French public/government. Each one will affect the play, in different ways, when it changes. What eventually ends the game is when the French public reaches 0 and calls for a referendum. Then you check each region whether they will vote to stay with France or become independent. If a majority votes pro-France, the French player win and vice versa. It is through different insurgency or counterinsurgency actions that you will make a region pro-FLN or pro-France. Finally, the military part will allow you to contest or control regions. This will affect your ability to mobilize, tax and conduct insurgency/counterinsurgency actions.
In other words, you will have to fight to control, conduct insurgency/counterinsurgency actions in order to win the hearts and minds of the population and, through politics, see to it that the public in France either supports you or gets fed up with the war. Some things might help you in one way but at the same time give disadvantages in other aspects. Nothing in war is purely a good decision. There is always a cost.
This item is in In Shrinkwrap condition. There is some very minor shelf wear. As always, photos are of the item that you will receive.