by Richard Wein
This Diplomacy variant recreates the revolution/civil war in Austria-Hungary which began in 1918. The participants in the war are the Germans, Magyars, Czechoslovaks, Serbo-Croats, Rumanians and Poles of Austria-Hungary. (The divisions of the map, except for the external Austro -Hungarian border, represent racial, not political boundaries.)
The Rules
1. Except as noted below, regular Diplomacy rules apply.
2. No fleets are used. However, there are three types of armies. Each race has Communist and Democratic armies; the Germans also have Imperialist armies. All races may build Communist and Democratic armies, but only the Germans may build Imperialist armies.
Home Centres:
Czechs / Slovaks: Pra; Boh; Mor; Slo
Germans: Upp; Sty; Vie; Sar
Magyars: Bak; Bud; Pes; Mak
Poles / Russians: Kra; Pre; Lem; NBu
Rumanians: Sat; WTr; Ora; ETr
Serbians / Croats: Tri; Cro; Sar; Sub
Imperial Centres: NSu; Sil; Pec; Crp; Ban
3. Each movement turn represents one month. The first movement turn is November 1918. Before this, in October 1918, there is a deployment turn, in which each player deploys his units in accordance with rule 4. At the end of every second month, beginning with December 1918, a build turn occurs, i.e. after the December, February, April, June, August and October turns of each year.
4. Each race begins the game with two communist and two democratic armies. The Germans also have five Imperialist armies, one of which must be placed on each of the five Imperialist Home supply centres on the board. Communist and Democratic armies may be placed anywhere within the racial boundaries of the owning race, with the following restrictions.
a. Armies may not be placed on neutral supply centres.
b. Communist armies may not be placed on democratic home supply centres; likewise, Democratic armies may not be placed on communist home supply centres.
5. Only Communist armies may be supplied by supply centres which have been captured by Communist armies; only Democratic armies may be supplied by supply centres which have been captured by Democratic armies; only Imperialist armies may be supplied by supply centres which have been captured by Imperialist armies. Armies may only be built of the type which is in control of the supply centre in which they are being built. If, at the beginning of a build turn, an army is in a supply centre controlled by another type of unit of the same race, control of the supply centre goes to the occupying army. Home supply centres may not be captured by other types of army belonging to the same race.
6. Communist armies must be built in communist home supply centres; Democratic armies must be built in Democratic home supply centres, Imperialist armies must be built in Imperialist home supply centres.
7. Communist armies may not support or be supported by democratic armies of any race. Imperialist armies may support or be supported by any armies.
8. If, at any time, the number of Communist armies in any race exceeds the number of Democratic armies in that race, or vice-versa, by three or more, the armies in the minority go into civil disorder (the normal rules for armies in civil disorder are used). This rule does not affect Imperialist armies in any way.
9. In order to win, any race except the Germans must control 17 supply centres including all supply centres within its racial boundaries The Germans must control 20 supply centres anywhere on the board. If two races meet their victory conditions on the same turn, the one which controls the most supply centres wins. If both control the same number of supply centres, the game is drawn.
10. The following abbreviations should be used for the different types of armies:
CA. = Communist army.
DA = Democratic Army.
IA = Imperialist army.
11. The normal Diplomacy rule that a unit may not dislodge another unit of the same country only applies within the types of armies. For example, a German Communist army may not dislodge another German Communist army, but it may dislodge a German Democratic army or a Rumanian Communist army.
12. The abbreviations on the map stand for the following provinces:
Baj = Baja
Bak = Bakony
BaL = Banja Luka
Ban = Banat
Boh = Bohemia
Bra = Brasov
Bra = Bratislava
Brn = Brno
Bud = Buda
Bur = Burgenland
Car = Carinthia
Clu = Cluj
Cro = Croatia
Crp = Carpathians
Dal = Dalmatia
Deb = Debrecen
ETr = East Transylvania
Fiu = Fiume
Gor = Gorlice
Gra = Graz
Kap = Kaposvar
Kos = Kosice
Kra = Krakow
Kru = Krumlov
Lem = Lemburg
Lin = Linz
Lju = Ljublijana
Low = Lower Austria
Mak = Mako
Mis = Miskovec
Mor = Moravia
Mur = Mures
Nag = Nagykanisza
NBu = North Bukovina
Nov = Novi Sad
NSu = North Sudetenland
Olo = Olomouc
Ora = Oradea
Osi = Osijek
Ost = Ostrava
Par = Pardubice
Pec = Pecs
Pes = Pest
Plz = Plzen
Pra = Prague
Pre = Presov
Prz = Przemysl
Sal = Salzburg
Sam = Sambor
San = San
Sar = Sarajevo
Sat = Satu Mare
SBu = South Bukovina
Sil = Silesia
Slo = Slovakia
SSu = South Sudetenland
Sty = Styria
Sub = Subotica
Szo = Szolnok
Tar = Targu Mures
Ter = Ternopol
Tis = Tisza
Tri = Trieste
Tru = Trutnov
Tyr = Tyrol
Upp = Upper Austria
Ust = Usti
Vac = Vac
Vie = Vienna
Vis = Vistula
WSu = West Sudetenland
WTr = West Transylvania
Zag = Zagreb
Zen = Zenica
Note: I have refrained from altering this variant when reprinting it, save that I changed the names of the following spaces: Banja Luka used to be Bosnia; Zenica used to be Herzegovina; Kracow used to be Teschen; Presov used to be Krakow. (Stephen Agar).