Kriegsspiel
Wargames today are considered an essential part of military planning and training. They have also become a distinctive genre of tabletop and computer games where enthusiasts can test their mettle on virtual or imaginary battlefields.
It is fascinating that today’s wargames, whether that be Pentagon simulations or two friends playing Warhammer 40,000, share a common ancestor in the 19th century game Kriegsspiel (German for ‘wargame’ or ‘warplay’).
The German wargame was developed in the 1800s by Prussian officers to teach tactics and strategy to officers. It evolved from early attempts at wargaming in the German states. These first attempts were akin to chess and quite unrealistic. The board was usually laid out in a grid of squares with terrain such as rivers taking unnatural forms.
George Leopold von Reisswitz, a Prussian nobleman, was the original creator of Kriegsspiel. He used wooden blocks to represent troop formations rather than model each individual soldier. His son would further refine the game and ensure its popularity amongst the military. The game’s profile was boosted by royal patronage as the Prussian royal family displayed a keen interest.
Prussia became a major European power in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars. It boasted a disciplined and well trained military which made neighbouring states, such as France and Austria, extremely wary. It would also become the dominant state in the eventual reunification of Germany.
Reisswitz Jr. enlisted the help of a number of junior officers whose expertise in military matters greatly enhanced the game’s realism. Earlier games would have pieces removed from the board once attacked, even if they represented an entire regiment. Reisswitz Jr. developed a system where units could take several rounds of damage before being destroyed. The damage inflicted would also depend on distance, the unit attacking it, and other modifiers. Units would have different characteristics depending on whether they were infantry, cavalry, or artillery.
A major change was the addition of an umpire, an experienced and impartial officer. This enabled players to simulate the fog of war as the umpire would only place pieces on the board that were in visual range of the other side. Players were forced to move cautiously and use scouts lest they advanced into an ambush. The umpire also acted as a referee, ruling on decisions where there was a dispute.
Growth In Popularity
Reisswitz Jr. was invited to display the game to royalty and the Prussian high command in 1824. The generals were impressed and endorsed the game as a suitable training tool. The chief of staff, General von Müffling, declared
“this is no ordinary sort of game, this is schooling for war. I must and will recommend it most warmly to the army.”
Sadly, Reisswitz’s success was not to last long. He committed suicide in 1827 after banishment to the political backwater of Torgau. His game however continued to endure with several wargaming clubs existing in the military. One of the most prominent of these was the Magdeburg Club whose members included General von Moltke. These enthusiasts kept the game alive and updated the rules to represent developments in technology such as breech loading rifles, telegraphs, and railway lines. By 1860 the game was widely played throughout the Prussian military with both junior and senior officers partaking. The majority of the officers who fought in the 1866 Austro-Prussian War and 1870s Franco-Prussian War would have played Kriegsspiel.
International Success
Kriegsspiel received little to no attention outside of Prussia before the 1870s. The game was translated into Dutch and French but had nowhere near the popularity it enjoyed in the German states. This would all change with Prussia’s military success in the Franco-Prussian War. France’s crushing defeat was greeted with shock worldwide and military observers rushed to learn what they could from the victor. General von Moltke’s victory was absolute.
Prussia’s success could not be attributed solely to numbers, weaponry, or troop quality. On paper, the French military had been equally matched and even outclassed the Prussians in some regards. Victory has many fathers but observers saw Kriegsspiel as a factor in their success as Prussian officers had, for the most part, outperformed their French counterparts. They were the only army in the world to use wargaming as an instructional tool.
The wargame helped guide Prussian officers to make calm emotionless decisions based on the data available to them. This cold and calculating method of command would result in some of the bloodiest actions of the war such as Von Bredow’s Death Ride. A trained commander would not hesitate to sacrifice a corps if it meant he could deal a deathblow to the enemy army.
The game trained players to read topographical maps, adding hours of extra practice that their counterparts lacked. It also gave junior officers the chance to experience commanding larger formations, something of immense value if their superior was incapacitated and they were forced to assume command.
The first English translations of Kriegsspiel were published in 1872 in the wake of the Prussian victory. The game saw increased interest from both military and civilians with several university clubs starting. Players began to add their own modifications and adapt rules. Most professional armies had adopted wargaming as an instructional tool by the close of the 19th century.
Several Prussian officers used their experience in the wake of the Franco-Prussian War to champion a form of free Kriegsspiel where much of the rules were discarded in favour of the umpire receiving greater power of arbitration. This became hugely popular in the military as it did not require newcomers to learn vast amounts of rules.
As well as influencing military and civilian theorists worldwide, Kriegsspiel also inspired hobbyists to develop smaller scale rules for those who wanted a more tactical wargame. The famed science fiction author H.G. Wells released Little Wars in 1913, a wargame that used toy soldiers instead of wooden blocks. Through this, Kriegsspiel is responsible for helping kickstart the world of miniature wargaming with legendary names such as Donald Featherstone and Tony Bath developing the hobby further.
Many wargamers today don’t fully realise the influence Kriegsspiel has had worldwide, whether it be for official training purposes or a pastime. Military figures and governments use wargaming to simulate potential conflicts and it still plays a key part in planning. Hobbyists have also seen wargaming grow in popularity worldwide.
Despite these more modern and refined creations, variants of Kriegsspiel continue to be played today. Those curious to learn more about the historical version or wishing to check out the rules for themselves can find more information here.
