Chapter 24: “My Best Diplomacy Yet”

Season Covered: Winter 1907

In my head, I’ve been preparing to stab Germany for two years now.  Timing is everything.  I’ve been afraid to do it too early, and it still might be early, but now I’m also afraid about doing it too late. My earlier stabs were either ill considered or born out of necessity. Now, however, I wanted to stab Germany in the most realistic and advantageous way possible.

I want to take Sweden and Denmark in the fall.  I will also throw Belgium to France and cripple Germany.  The problem is everyone sees it, too.  Especially Germany.

The decision really turns on Germany. He has to build something. If he builds a fleet, he is vulnerable to Austria. If he builds an army, he is vulnerable to me.

To me, I must exert every ounce of my talents to persuade Germany to build an army.  If he builds a fleet I have almost no path to victory unless Austria and Germany fight, and even that would help Turkey and France more than it would help me.  An army build is the only path forward to me.  I reach out to Germany to assure him of our alliance, and Germany he assured me an army build:

I go to bed feeling great.  Then, in the morning, Germany insists on building a fleet. This is why this game is so hard. It’s hard to know anything for certain.

This is a major problem for me. Also, Austria is pressing me—as well as Germany—for a German fleet build and a build in Edi for me.  I read that as pure France meddling, and Austria basically confirms it in his press. We show something new between us - tension.

Now, here’s the thing.  If I’m going to stab Germany, I am going to have to play hard ball with Germany to convince him to act in my best interest.  I need him to think that Austria’s army build suggestion was simply AF talking to him and getting in his head.  Playing hard ball is a page I took from my earlier communications with France. (Chapter 4 regarding Belgium and 11 regarding Holland).

 I change my tone to Germany.  Yes, there’s a little desperation, but there’s also some major pushing.  Now, I’m trying to employ the Bodhi psychology (Chapter 1) used by the superior players like France and Turkey:

Wow, the Bodhi psychology worked.  I had turned Germany.  I immediately start Sandboxing how to stab him.  It does not make me feel good, but it was my only play.

I rustle up some Monty Python clips as a tribute to Russia and send them to the players.

Russia liked them, which was a bit of a salve given what I did to him (over and over).

The next issue was France. After the fall moves adjudicated, he immediately insisted I build an army.I told him I couldn’t do that. I would have built an army if Germany was building a fleet, but since I turned Germany I am dead set on building a fleet. Now, I don’t want to reveal my planned stab of Germany to France, but I want him to think it’s coming because that would give him comfort I’m not coming for him even with a fleet build. It’s delicate; probably more delicate than I can manage. I write France:

Note, I 100% meant what I was saying, but as we will learn, France did not. I did when I said 60 percent, as I was confident it was much lower.

So, I feel fairly confident that this went as well as it could.  I would like to note one other thing.  In Winter 1904 (Chapter 13), when France was upset with me, he wrote: “I’m a very skilled kingmaker.”  That line was seared into my memory.  If I had the chance to king make someone over France, I was going to show him who the kingmaker really was.

Meanwhile, Turkey. This guy and I are clicking, and I am open with him (to a point).

Here’s one thing that annoyed me with Turkey.  The guy is a control freak, and has consistently told me what to tell others and how to tell them, even going so far as to ask me to send fake press to Austria.  He is trying to control me and I think everything on this board.

All the work has been done.  Let’s see if I got it all right. Here are the builds:

I win. Germany builds an army. I build my fleet. I’m technically in fifth place but looking strong. France makes me feel positive; more positive than I should feel:

I go to sleep feeling great for once, but all the lies will soon catch up to me, both in the game and in the way I feel about myself.