La Der des Ders: The War to End War
La Der des Ders: The War to End War Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Glossary
- Components
- Setting Up the Game
- Flow of the Game
- Determining Initiative
- Event Cards
- Collecting Resource Points
- Naval Control
- Spending Resource Points
- Additional Reinforcements
- End of Turn
- Entry into the War & Surrender
- End of Game
- Quick-Play Rules
- Variant: Rewriting History
- Playing Solitaire
- List of Events
- Example of Play (Solitaire)
- Designer's Notes
- Historical Notes
Glossary
- Entente: This term covers France and its colonies, the British Empire (including the Middle East), Russia, Italy, Romania, Serbia and Greece. These nations are represented in blue.
- Central Powers: This term covers Germany and its colonies, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. These nations are represented in green.
- Neutral: Any sector whose Production Value is printed in white and whose Event causing it to enter the war has not yet been drawn.
- At War: Any sector which is not neutral and which has not surrendered.
- Resource Points (RP): Resource Points represent resources, both material and human. They are distributed to the players at the start of each game turn. The allocation of RPs to each players allows them to define their priorities.
- Move forward: Move your cube/marker to the right.
- Move backward: Move your cube/marker to the left.
Components
Your copy of La Der des Ders contains:
- 1 mounted map
- 1 countersheet (52 counters)
- 86 wooden pieces
- 2 Technology Tree boards
- 2 Technological Improvements boards
- 42 Event cards
- 12 Cornflower cards (solitaire game)
- 1 Player Aid
- 7 dice (4 white and 3 black)
- This Rulebook
3.1 The Game Board
3.1.1 Sectors
The game board is divided into sectors. These sectors correspond, broadly speaking, to the main countries that took part in the First World War. Sectors shaded blue belong to the Entente; those shaded green belong to the Central Powers.
Production Value
Each sector has a Production Value printed in a yellow circle. The Production Value corresponds to the number of Resource Points (RP) generated by this sector at the start of each turn, if it is at war.
If its Production Value is printed in black, this sector is at war at the start of the game.
If its Production Value is printed in white, this sector is not at war at the start of the game. It will enter the war as soon as the corresponding Event card is drawn.
A sector that is not at war (Neutral) does not generate Resource Points.
Collapse Track
Each sector contains a Collapse Track made up of a certain number of numbered spaces.
At the start of the game, a cube is placed in the space to the right of the one with the red value.
As losses are inflicted in this sector, the cube is moved to the right on the track.
When the sector receives reinforcements, the cube is moved to the left.
The cube can never be placed on the space with the red value.
Operational Value
The numbers printed in the spaces on the Collapse Track represent the sector's Operational Value (i.e. its level of combativeness).
These figures indicate the maximum amount of RP that can be allocated to this sector during an offensive (and incidentally the size of this offensive).
The value to be taken into account is the one immediately to the left of the space occupied by the cube.
The Operational Value varies throughout the game, at the same rate as the cube.
Example: If the cube is placed as shown below, the Operational Value to be taken into account is 2.
Attack Value
The Attack Value is used for offensives.
A sector's Attack Value is symbolized by a die printed at the end of the Collapse Track.
The face of this die indicates the minimum result this sector must obtain to cause losses to the sector it is targeting.
Example: When Italy launches an offensive, it inflicts a loss on its opponent for every 5 (or more) it obtains.
Note on the representation of the different nations: Even if this is not physically visible in the game, the sectors depicted on the map may contain soldiers of different nationalities. For example, the "France" sector intrinsically includes British, Belgian, Portuguese, etc., without these being personified by a specific counter. The participation of different nations in the war effort is also reflected in the Resource Points awarded each turn to the country depicted on the map. This is why these zones should be considered as "sectors" rather than "nations".
3.1.2 Tracks on the game board
The game board features several tracks.
Turn Track
The marker placed on this track in the top right-hand corner of the board indicates the current turn.
This marker starts the game on space 1 and is moved forward one space at the end of each turn.
Unless the war ends by an automatic victory for one of the two sides or by the triggering of the Peace Negotiations Event, the game ends after the 14th turn.
The side which holds the initiative for this turn is indicated by a colour (blue for Entente, green for Central Powers).
The stars on space 10 indicate the turn in which the United States enter the game - unless they entered earlier via the Event cards.
Victory Points Track
The Victory Point markers on this track move forward each time an opposing country surrenders.
Resource Track
This track, numbered from 0 to 20, indicates the number of RPs available to each side.
The Resource cubes (blue for the Entente, green for the Central Powers) placed on this track show the number of Resource Points available to each side in real time.
The Production markers are used to keep track of the number of Resource Points allocated to the players at the start of each turn.
The French and German flags printed on this track are used during set-up.
Trade Tracks
There are two Trade tracks, both placed in the top left-hand corner of the board, one for the Entente (Merchant Navy), the other for the Central Powers (Kaiserliche Marine).
These two tracks provide additional RPs to both sides at the beginning of a turn.
Naval Control die rolls can modify the number of RPs received at the beginning of a turn.
The Merchant Navy marker is moved forward one space at the end of each turn, advancing the Production marker of the Entente accordingly. If the Lafayette marker is on this track, it is also moved forward one space. These markers are never moved to the left. Once the end of the track has been reached, the markers are no longer moved.
Russian Revolution Track
This track indicates the advance of the Russian people towards Revolution.
The Russian Revolution marker starts the game in the white space.
This marker may be moved to the right each time Russia obtains reinforcements. It is never moved to the left.
When this marker reaches the last space, Revolution breaks out: Russia no longer produces resources and can no longer receive reinforcements.
Naval Control Table & Track
The Naval Control Table is used to reduce the number of RPs received by the opponent via the Trade Tracks. It consists of two rows: U-Boat for the Central Powers, Blockade for the Entente.
The track under the Naval Control Table indicates the modifier to be applied to the Central Powers' Naval Control die rolls. It takes into account the Naval Technology levels of the Central Powers and that of the Entente.
At the start of the game, only the Central Powers can carry out a Naval Control die roll.
The small blue box (with a lock) linked to the Naval Control Table indicates that the Entente cannot carry out a Naval Control die roll yet. Only once it has unlocked Naval Technology level 1, can the Entente perform Naval Control die rolls.
3.1.3 Event boxes
Some boxes are intended to receive their corresponding Event marker (from Event cards). Once the marker is placed there, its effect is activated.
- 6 - Von Lettow in Africa
- 10 - The Lusitania Torpedoed
- 15 - Major German Defeat (Battle of Jutland)
- 16 - W. Wilson Intervenes!
- 23 - Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
- 24 - Zimmermann Telegram
- 35 - Unified Command
- 36 - Louis Franchet d'Espèrey
- 41 - Pariser Kanonen
There is also a box to place a marker indicating that Romania has surrendered and that the Central Powers gain 1 RP each turn.
3.2 The Markers (52)
1 Turn marker (double-sided)
The Turn marker is used to keep track of the current turn. It is placed face up indicating the side with initiative. The Turn marker starts the game on space 1 and moves forward one space at the end of each turn. Blue for Entente - Green for Central Powers.
1 Russian Revolution marker
The Russian Revolution marker keeps track of Russia's progress towards revolution. It may move forward when Russia receives reinforcements. It never moves backwards.
2 Production markers
Production markers are used to record on the Resource Track the number of Resource Points to be collected at the beginning of each turn. Production markers are adjusted in real time, each time a nation enters the war or surrenders, and according to changes on the Trade Track. Blue for Entente - Green for Central Powers.
1 Kaiserliche Marine marker
The Kaiserliche Marine marker indicates the number of additional Resource Points awarded to the Central Powers each turn (3RP).
1 Merchant Navy marker
The Merchant Navy marker indicates the number of additional Resource Points awarded to the Entente for the current turn. This marker moves forward one space at the end of each turn. It never moves backward.
1 Lafayette marker
The Lafayette, We are Here! marker indicates the number of additional Resource Points awarded to the Entente for the current turn. It is placed on the Trade Track during the game (due to the triggering of certain Events, or at the end of the Event phase on turn 10). It moves forward one space at the end of each turn. It is never moved backwards.
2 Victory Point markers
The Victory Point markers keep track of the Victory Points being awarded by each side during the game. Blue for Entente - Green for Central Powers.
16 Offensive markers
These markers are used to remember which sector attacked which other sector during the current turn. Blue for Entente - Green for Central Powers.
9 Event markers
These markers are placed on their respective boxes during play to remember active events. Also see 3.1.3 Event boxes.
Neutral / White Flags + Romania markers (5+1)
The Neutral side indicates that a sector has not entered the war yet. The White Flag side indicates that a sector has surrendered.
The Romania marker is to be put on the game board once Romania has surrendered. Its reverse side is used to remember that the Central Powers earn 1 more RP each turn.
Technology markers (6 per player)
Each of these markers corresponds to a technology: Attack, Defence, Artillery, Aviation, Naval and Air Raid.
They are placed on the Technology Tree boards to indicate which Levels of Technology have been unlocked. Also see 3.4 Technology Tree Boards.
3.3 The Wooden Pieces (86)
Sector cubes (8 blue & 5 green)
When a country is at war, place a Sector cube of the corresponding colour on that sector's Collapse Track.
When the country is not/no longer at war, the Sector cube is placed on the board in such a way as to hide the Production Value of the corresponding sector.
See Collapse Track and Operational Value (3.1.1)
Resource cubes (1 blue & 1 green)
Resource cubes are used to keep track of the remaining resources available for the current turn.
The blue cube is for the Entente player, the green cube for the Central Powers player.
See Resource Track (3.1.2).
Green Naval Control cube
The green Naval Control cube indicates the modifier that the Central Powers player must take into account when making a roll on the Naval Control Table. Its position depends on the Naval Technology level of the two sides (as well as some Events) (see Naval Control Table & Track 3.1.2).
Blue Naval Control cube
The blue Naval Control cube is placed on the Lock box (by the Naval Control table) as soon as the Entente player unlocks level 1 of Naval Technology (Naval Blockade). It indicates that the Entente player is allowed to make die rolls on the Naval Control Table. (See Naval Control Table and Track 3.1.2 and Technology Tree boards 3.4).
Technological Research cubes (25)
Technological Research cubes are placed on the Technology Tree boards during the game. They are used to keep track of failed attempts to unlock a level of technology (see Technology Tree boards 3.4).
Improvement cylinders (4 per sector)
The cylinders are placed on the Technological Improvements boards are moved upwards during the game.
They indicate the level of technology implemented in each sector (see Technological Improvements boards 3.5).
3.4 Technology Tree Boards (2)
Each player has their own Technology Tree board.
Each Tree is divided into 6 Technologies: Attack, Defence, Artillery, Aviation, Naval, and Air Raid.
Each box on the Technology Tree represents a level of technology. Each level is characterized by the following information: its name, the date it becomes possible to try to unlock it, the value required to unlock it, and the bonus conferred to the sectors benefiting from this level of technology.
Each time a level of technology is unlocked, the player moves their Technology marker to the box corresponding to that level.
Each level of technology provides a specific bonus which only applies to sectors that have implemented that level (see Technological Improvement boards 3.5).
3.5 The Technological Improvements Boards (2)
Each player has a board with Improvement Tracks indicating which sectors belong to their side.
Note: There is no Improvement Track for Africa.
For each sector, the tracks correspond, from left to right, to Attack, Defence, Artillery, and Aviation technologies.
When a level of technology is unlocked on the Technology Tree, the relevant side can implement it in the sectors of its choice so that these sectors can benefit from the bonuses this level provides. This requires the expenditure of Resource Points. The Technological Improvement cylinder is then moved accordingly (see Implementing levels of Technology 10.2.6).
3.6 The Event Cards (42)
These cards represent the various events that took place during World War I.
The cards consist of a title, a picture including a number, an effect, a year, a symbol and a colour.
The meaning of the various symbols and colours are explained in Section 7.
The text of each Event card is available in Section 18.
3.7 The Cornflower Cards (12) (Solitaire Game)
These cards are used for solitaire games only. They are intended to simulate a virtual opponent, called Athena.
See Section 17 for more information on playing solitaire.
3.8 The Player Aid Sheet (1)
This player aid summarizes the course of a game turn, for both solitaire and two-player games.
It also indicates how many Victory Points and Prestige Points each sector is worth.
Refer to Sections 13 and 14 to learn more on Victory Points and Prestige Points.
3.9 The Dice (7)
The 4 white dice are called "Attack dice".
The 3 black dice are called "Artillery dice".
During the game, any "natural" 1 is an automatic failure. Any "natural" 6 is a success. "Natural" means "before any modifier is applied".
Setting Up the Game
Before starting a game, follow these instructions.
- Choose your side: one player will control the Entente, the other the Central Powers. Take the Technology Tree board, the Technological Improvements board, and the cubes corresponding to your side (blue for the Entente, green for the Central Powers).
- Place a Sector cube on the Collapse track of your At War sectors (those with a Production Value printed in black). The cube is placed to the right of the space with a red value.
- Place a Sector cube on the Production Value of sectors which are neutral at the start of the game (Italy, Romania and Greece for the Entente; Bulgaria for the Central Powers). Place a Neutral marker in these sectors.
- Place the Turn marker on space 1 of the Turn Track, German side (green) up.
- Place the Merchant Navy marker on space 1 of the Entente Trade Track, and the Lafayette marker in the dedicated box.
- Place the Kaiserliche Marine marker on the left-most space of the Central Powers Trade Track.
- Place both sides' Resource cubes on space 0 of the Resource Track.
- Place the Entente's Production marker on space 9 of the Resource Track.
- Place the Central Powers' Production marker on space 13 of the Resource Track.
- Place a green cube on the 0 space of the Naval Control Track.
- Place the Russian Revolution marker on the left-most space of the Russian Revolution Track.
- Place the two Victory Point markers on the 0 space of the Victory Track.
- Place each side's Attack, Defence, Artillery, Aviation, Naval and Air Raid markers below each column of their respective Technology Tree board.
- For each country At War, place a cylinder of the corresponding colour on the 0 space of each of the ATTACK, DEFENCE, ARTILLERY, and AVIATION columns of the Technological Improvements boards.
- Divide the Event cards by year to make 5 piles (1914, 1915, 1916, 1917 and 1918). Take the 1914 deck, shuffle it and place it on the game board, in its dedicated box. Place the other decks on the right of the game board, near their respective boxes (from 1915 to 1918).
Note: At the end of this booklet, you'll find a rule variant designed to bring more randomness in the triggering of Events. See 16. Rewriting History.
Flow of the Game
A game lasts until the Armistice (unless Sudden Death is triggered according to 14.1), i.e. a maximum of 14 turns.
A game turn is played in the following sequence:
Sequence of play
- Determine initiative
- Draw Event cards (Air Raid, if applicable)
- Collect Resource Points
- Naval Control
- Spend Resource Points
- a) Reinforcements (player with initiative, then player without initiative)
- b) Technologies (player with initiative, then player without initiative)
- c) Offensives (alternating turns, starting with the player with initiative)
- Additional reinforcements
- End of turn
Determining Initiative
Possession of initiative determines which side plays before the other.
The Central Powers player has the initiative on the first turn.
From the second turn onwards, refer to the colour of the space in which the Turn marker is to find out which side has the initiative (green for the Central Powers, blue for the Entente).
Example: On turn 6, the Entente has the initiative. Flip the Turn marker to the Entente side as a reminder.
Optional rule: By mutual agreement, the players may decide to each roll a die at the start of each turn, except the first one. The player with the highest number gets the initiative for that turn. In the event of a tie, refer to the colour of the current space where the Turn marker is.
Optional rule: In addition to the optional rule above, players can decide, before the dice are rolled, to spend n RP to add n to the result of their die.
Event Cards
The Event cards recall the various episodes that marked World War I.
7.1 Drawing Event Cards
At the start of each turn, draw 3 Event cards.
7.2 Air Raid
Under certain conditions, the German player can choose to cancel an Event, and sometimes even choose a new one. They must first have unlocked at least one level of Air Raid technology.
This is explained in the Air Raid Technology section (10.2.7).
7.3 Applying Events
Some Events are applied immediately, others later in the turn.
A pictogram indicates when the card's effects apply: immediately, during the Collect Resource Points Phase, or during offensives.
Some Events are only applicable in 1914. These Events are marked with a blue corner.
Some Events have effects that apply until the end of the game, others until they are cancelled.
The text is generally self-explanatory. However, you can refer to the Events List in Section 18 for more information.
- (blue corner): The effect is no longer applicable after the year 1914.
- (red corner): This card can never be cancelled by using the Air Raid technology.
- (green corner): This card may be cancelled - under certain conditions - with the Air Raid technology.
- (grey corner): This card has no special features.
Collecting Resource Points
Resource Points (RP) represent both industrial production and the arrival of new soldiers to make up for losses.
8.1 Principle
Add the number of RPs awarded by each of your At War sectors and by your Trade Track, then move forward your cube on the Resource Track accordingly.
8.2 Number of RPs Awarded
Each At War sector confers as many Resource Points as its printed Production Value.
Each side also gains as many points as indicated by the position of its marker on its Trade Track (Merchant Navy for the Entente, Kaiserliche Marine for the Central Powers).
Example: The position of the Merchant Navy marker on the Trade Track indicates that the Entente player gains 3 Resource Points.
Note: If Romania has surrendered, the Central Powers gain 1 additional RP each turn.
It is possible to keep RP from turn to turn, but at no time can a side have more than 20RP. Any excess RP are cancelled.
Note: The Production markers allow you to monitor the productivity of both sides in real time, i.e. the number of Resource Points each side receives at the start of each turn. This means that if you adjust this marker each time a country enters the war or surrenders, or each time the marker moves forward on the Trade Track, you won't have to count the number of Resource Points you receive at the start of each turn.
Naval Control
Naval Control reduces the number of resources received by your opponent.
At the start of the game, the Entente does not have access to Naval Control.
9.1 Central Powers
The Central Powers player rolls a die, adds the modifier indicated by the position of the cube on the Naval Control Track and consults the U-Boote row of the Naval Control Table.
The result indicates the number of RPs lost by the Entente. The Entente player moves their Resource cube accordingly.
The Entente player cannot lose more RP than the amount they have been awarded this turn from the Trade Track.
Reminder: The position of the Naval Control cube depends on the level of Naval technology on both sides (see 10.2.7 Naval Technology).
9.2 Entente
Warning: This die roll is only made if the Entente has unlocked the Naval Blockade technology (the Lock by the Naval Control Table is there to remind you).
The Entente player rolls a die and consults the Blockade row of the Naval Control Table.
The result indicates the number of RP lost by the Central Powers. The Central Powers player moves their Resource cube accordingly.
The Central Powers player cannot lose more RP than the amount they have been awarded this turn from the Trade Track.
In the event of a definitive blockade (see the Battle of Jutland Event), move the Kaiserliche Marine marker on the right so that the 3 is hidden from view. Move the Central Powers Production marker 3 points to the left. It is no longer necessary for the Entente to roll on this track for the rest of the game.
Spending Resource Points
Resource Points are the currency of the game. They are earned and spent throughout the game.
Players can spend their Resource Points to (in this order):
- Reinforce sectors
- player with initiative, then
- player without initiative, then
- Attempt to unlock levels of technology
- player with initiative, then
- player without initiative, then
- Launch an offensive
- player with initiative, then
- player without initiative,
- and so on.
The two players continue to launch offensives, one after the other, until they have both passed.
These three sub-phases are carried out one after the other.
10.1 Reinforcements
The player with the initiative can spend RP to reinforce their sectors (i.e. increase their Operational Value). Once they have finished reinforcing the sectors of their choice, it is the non-initiative player's turn to do the same.
10.1.1 Principle
Each reinforcement moves the Sector cube one space to the left on the Collapse Track.
It is not possible to exceed the sector's initial Operational Value. This means that the cube can never enter the space with the red value.
10.1.2 Cost
For each individual sector, the first reinforcement of the turn costs 1RP, the second reinforcement costs 2RP and the third costs 3RP.
It is not possible to spend more than 6RP in the same sector. A sector can therefore only move its Sector cube a maximum of 3 spaces each turn.
Example: If the Middle East's Operational Value is 0, the player who wishes to increase this value to 2 may spend 1RP to go from 0 to 1, 2RP to go from 1 to 1, and 3RP to go from 1 to 2, with a total cost of 6RP. The Middle East would then be at its maximum Operational Value.
10.1.3 Special Cases
- The German Colonies cannot receive reinforcements.
- Each time that Russia receives reinforcements, it is likely to move one step closer to revolution. (See Russian Revolution 13.3).
Once both players have completed this sub-phase, move on to the Technologies sub-phase.
10.2 Technologies
The player with initiative can spend RP to try and unlock levels of technology and implement them in their sectors. Once they have finished, the player without the initiative can do the same.
10.2.1 Principle
It is possible to attempt to unlock a level of technology only if the year shown on that technology's row has been reached.
The attempt can only be made if the previous level of technology has been unlocked (during a previous turn).
For each technology type (Attack, Defence, Artillery, Aviation, Naval, Air Raid), only one level can be unlocked per turn.
Except in special cases (see Re-rolls 10.2.5), a player can make only one attempt per technology (Attack, Defence, Artillery, Aviation, Naval, Air Raid) each turn. This means that the same technology can progress by only one level per turn.
10.2.2 Cost
The cost is 1RP for each attempt.
Before rolling the die to unlock a level of technology, the player may decide to spend additional RP(s). Each additional 1RP spent provides a +1 bonus for this attempt.
Note: There is no limit to the number of RP that can be spent to add a bonus.
Example: The player decides to spend an additional 2 RP (for a total of 3RP). He receives a +2 on his die roll.
10.2.3 Success & Failure
A level of technology is unlocked if the player obtains a result greater than or equal to the value indicated in the box for this level. The corresponding Technology marker is then moved to the box of the unlocked level.
Example: In 1917, the Entente player, whose Attack technology is at level 2 (New Tactics), attempts to move up to level 3 (Mark Tanks, which will be unlocked by obtaining 5+). He spends 3RP (i.e. 1RP + 2 additional RP), which gives him +2 on the die. He rolls the die and gets a 4, which, with the +2 bonus, is enough to unlock the level.
If they fail, the player receives a Technological Research cube which they place in the box of the level they just tried to unlock (except special case - see Re-rolls 10.2.5).
10.2.4 Technological Research Cubes
When attempting to unlock a level of technology, any Technological Research cube in its box provides a +1 bonus to the die.
Example: On turn 6, the Entente player tries to unlock the Nieuport 11 level. He fails and places a Technological cube in its box. He tries again on turn 7 (with a +1 bonus) and fails again. He doesn't attempt to unlock the level on turn 8, but tries again on turn 9 with a +2 bonus, having two cubes in this technology.
Once the level of technology is unlocked, return all the Technological Research cubes placed on this technology to the reserve.
10.2.5 Re-rolls
When an attempt fails, instead of receiving a Technological Research cube, the player has the option of discarding a cube previously placed on that technology. This gives the player the right to re-roll the die, making another attempt at no RP cost.
Once discarded, the Technological Research cube no longer provides a +1 bonus.
Bonuses granted by the additional RP expenditure and by any remaining Technological Research cubes apply to re-rolls.
It is possible to benefit from as many re-rolls as there are Technological Research cubes to be discarded.
10.2.6 Implementing Levels of Technology
Having unlocked a level of technology, the player must "implement" it in their sectors if they wish to benefit from its advantages.
Cost
To implement one level of technology in one sector costs 1RP.
Exception: Implementation is free (no RP cost) and automatic for the France and Germany sectors.
Procedure
On the Technological Improvements board, the player moves the cylinder on the corresponding technology track for the sector(s) they wish. The sector now benefits from the associated effects, until the end of the game.
These improvements can be made at any time during the player's Technology sub-phase.
It is possible to implement levels of technology in sectors that are not yet At War.
Exception: Unlocked Naval and Air Raid levels are automatically available, without spending any RP. It is thus not necessary to implement them.
10.2.7 Advantages Provided by Technologies
The levels of Attack, Defence, Artillery and Aviation technologies implemented in individual sectors grant them advantages during combat.
Attack Technology
For each level implemented, the Attack technology grants +1 to each Attack die when this sector attacks.
Example: France has implemented the level 3 of Attack technology (Mark Tanks). All its Attack dice receive a +3.
Defence Technology
For each level implemented, the Defence technology inflicts -1 on each Attack die of the opponent attacking that sector.
Example: Germany has implemented the level 4 of Defence technology (Siegfried Stellung). All Attack dice aimed at Germany have -4 to their roll.
Maximum Level
Not all levels of technology are available for each sector. The African sectors cannot benefit from any technology.
Example: The Entente has managed to unlock level 4 of the Attack Technology (Char Renault FT). The red cylinder in Italy is currently at the +2 level. The player decides to spend 1RP to move this cylinder to the +3 level. He cannot spend any additional RP, as 3 represents Italy's maximum level for Attack Technology.
Artillery Technology
For each level implemented, Artillery technology grants one extra die (black) during combat.
These additional dice, known as 'Artillery dice', are not subject to the bonuses/penalties conferred by the Attack or Defence technologies.
Please note: The number of Artillery dice rolled by the player must never exceed the size of the offensive, except if the additional dice have been granted by an Event card.
Example: France has implemented the level 2 of Artillery technology (Barrage). Even if he opts for an offensive of size 3, the player can only benefit from 2 Artillery dice.
Example: France has implemented the level 2 of Artillery technology (Barrage). If he opts for a size 1 offensive, the player can only benefit from a single Artillery die.
Aviation Technology
Aviation technology allows the player to re-roll as many Artillery dice as the difference between their Aviation level and their opponent's Aviation level.
This is possible only if the Attacker's level of technology is higher than the Defender's.
Dice that have been re-rolled cannot be re-rolled a second time.
Example: Germany (level 6 - Fokker D.VII) attacks Italy (level 2 - Nieuport 11). Germany rolls 3 Artillery dice, none of which cause a loss. The player can re-roll each of the 3 dice once, as the level differential is 4 (6 minus 2).
Naval Technology
Each level of technology unlocked by the Central Powers moves the Naval Control cube one space to the right.
With the exception of level 1 (see note below), each level of technology unlocked by the Entente moves the Naval Control cube one space to the left.
Note: The Entente's first level of Naval technology (Naval blockade) allows the Entente player to roll on the Naval Control Table during the Naval Control phase (if this level has not yet been unlocked, only the Central Powers can roll on the Naval Control Table). As soon as the Entente has unlocked this level of technology, place a blue cube in the Lock box of the Naval Control Table as a reminder.
Depending on the position of the cube, the Central Powers player receives a bonus or a penalty when they roll on the Naval Control Table.
Example: If the Central Powers and the Entente have both unlocked their highest level of Naval technology (Advanced Technologies and Air Patrol), the CP benefit from a +1 bonus on their Naval Control die roll.
Note: Some Events may modify the Naval Control die roll.
Air Raid Technology
Air Raid technology allows the Central Powers player (and them alone) to influence the course of Events, depending on the difference with the Entente's level of Air Raid technology.
- A 1 level differential in favour of the Central Powers allows the CP player to cancel up to one Event with a green corner drawn this turn.
- A 2 level differential in favour of the Central Powers allows the CP player to cancel up to two Events:
- One Event with a green corner drawn this turn and
- One Event whose corner is not red drawn this turn.
- A 3 level differential in favour of the Central Powers allows the CP player to cancel up to two Events:
- One Event with a green corner drawn this turn and
- One Event whose corner is not red drawn this turn.
- In addition, the Entente player only receives half the Resource Points (rounded down) normally allocated by the Merchant Navy marker.
Once both players have completed this sub-phase, move on to the Offensives sub-phase.
10.3 Offensives
During this sub-phase, players take turns to activate one of their sectors that has not yet been activated.
The sector thus activated must launch an offensive against an adjacent enemy sector, paying the appropriate cost (see 10.3.2).
Once both players have activated a sector, each player may choose a new sector to activate and so on, until no new sectors can be activated.
A player may decide to pass rather than activate a sector: the Resource Spending phase then ends for them. The other player can continue to activate the sectors they want/are able to, until they decide to pass on their turn (or are no longer able to activate a sector).
10.3.1 Conditions
Mandatory offensives generated by Event cards must be launched first.
A sector can only launch one offensive per turn, and always against an enemy sector adjacent to it.
During the same turn, a sector may be attacked by several adjacent enemy sectors, but each offensive is resolved separately.
The attacking sector is called the "attacker", and the targeted sector is called the "defender".
Note: You can use the Offensive markers to remember which sector attacked which other sector in this turn.
10.3.2 Cost
When deciding to activate a sector to launch an offensive, the player must first choose the size of their offensive.
The size of the offensive must be at least 1 and up to the current Operational Value of the attacking sector (as indicated by the number to the left of the Sector's cube).
The player launching the offensive then spends as many RP as the size of the offensive. Adjust the Resource cube accordingly.
Example: The Entente player decides to attack the Ottoman Empire from Russia. If Russia's Operational Value is currently 2, the size of the offensive must be between 1 and 2. If he opts for a size 2 offensive, the Entente player will have to spend 2 RP.
Note: Unless stipulated otherwise (ex: Schlieffen Plan), offensives generated by Event cards require the player concerned to pay the cost of these offensives.
10.3.3 Resolution
The player rolls as many white dice as the size of the offensive. These dice are called Attack dice.
Note: Some technologies allow modifiers to be added to Attack dice or additional dice to be rolled (Artillery dice).
Each level of Attack technology implemented in the attacking sector grants a die roll modifier of +1 to each Attack die roll.
Each level of Defence technology implemented in the targeted sector inflicts a die roll modifier of -1 to each Attack die roll.
Each level of Artillery technology implemented in the attacking sector allows the Attacker to roll 1 black Artillery die. These dice are not subject to the bonuses/penalties conferred by Attack and Defence technologies.
Reminder: The number of Artillery dice cannot exceed the size of the offensive.
Thanks to Aviation technology, the attacker can re-roll as many Artillery dice that failed to inflict a loss as the difference between their Aviation level and the defender's Aviation level.
10.3.4 Results
Each result greater than or equal to the attacking player's Attack Value inflicts one loss on the defender. The Attack Value of a sector is represented by the die depicted at the end of the Collapse Track.
For each loss suffered, the defender moves the cube on the attacked sector's Collapse Track by one space to the right.
If a cube needs to be moved forward on the Collapse Track, but is already on the right-most space (and can therefore no longer be moved forward), that country immediately surrenders (see 13.2 Surrender).
Counter-attack
If the face of at least one of their Attack dice shows a (natural) 1, the attacker suffers one loss: the cube in their own sector is moved forward one space.
Artillery dice are not affected by the Counter-attack rule.
Exception: This rule does not apply when the German Colonies launch an offensive.
Exception: The counter-attack has no effect if the defending sector has, earlier in the turn, launched an offensive against a sector other than the sector currently attacking it.
Once both players have completed this sub-phase, move on to the Additional Reinforcements sub-phase.
Example: Germany (whose Attack, Artillery and Aviation levels are at 3) chooses to attack Russia (whose Defence level is at 2 and whose Aviation level is at 1), with a size 2 Offensive (a size 3 Offensive would also have been possible). Germany spends 2RP. Two Attack dice are rolled (offensive size 2). Each of these dice benefits from a +3 bonus (Attack level) but is also subject to a -2 modifier (due to the defender's Defence level), for a total of +1. The attacker also rolls two Artillery dice (level of Artillery technology is 3, but the number of dice is limited to the size of the offensive which is 2), which do not benefit from any adjustment. Thanks to its higher Aviation level compared to Russia, Germany is able to cancel and re-roll 2 (different) Artillery dice, 2 being the difference between Germany's (3) and Russia's (1) levels of Aviation technology. As depicted on the die symbol in Germany, one loss is caused for each final result of 4 or more. The dice show: 1 and 3 for the Attack dice (to which +1 is added), and 1 and 4 for the Artillery dice (the 1 on the Artillery die is rolled again, but gives the same result). The final results are: Attack 2,4 / Artillery 1,4. Germany therefore inflicts two losses: Russia must move the cube on its Collapse Track two spaces to the right. One more loss and Russia will surrender! However, Germany suffers one loss due to the Russian counterattack (the 1 obtained with one of the Attack dice). Notice that there is no effect for rolling a «1» on the Artillery dice.
Example (exception to counter-attack): Later during the same turn, France decides to attack Germany. It rolls two Attack dice and gets 1 and 3. France does not suffer a counter-attack loss, as Germany attacked another sector earlier in the turn. If Germany had attacked France instead of Russia, the German counter-attack would apply.
Additional Reinforcements
If the Merchant Navy marker is not at the end of the track, it is moved forward one space.
The Entente's Production marker is moved forward accordingly (one space).
If the Lafayette marker is on the Merchant Navy Track, it is moved forward one space, if possible.
The Entente's Production marker is moved forward accordingly (one space).
Example: The Lafayette marker is moved forward one space, which (also) moves forward the Entente's Production marker one space. The Merchant Navy marker has already reached its maximum and doesn't move.
End of Turn
At the end of the turn, if the Turn marker is on space 14, the game is over. The players determine the winner.
If this is not the case, the Turn marker is moved forward one space and a new game turn begins.
If the new turn marks the start of a new year, take all the Event cards corresponding to this new year and shuffle them with the Event cards from previous years that have not yet been drawn.
Remove any Offensive markers on the game board.
Entry into the War & Surrender
In 1914, not all countries were yet at war. The years that followed saw the gradual entry of many belligerents, giving the conflict its 'global' character.
13.1 Entry into the War
13.1.1 Neutral Sectors
At the start of the game, the neutral sectors are: Italy, Romania, Greece (Entente) and Bulgaria (Central Powers).
The sectors that begin the game as neutral have their Production Value printed in white. As long as these sectors are neutral, they do not produce RPs.
These sectors only enter the war when their Event card is drawn.
When a sector enters the war, remove its Neutral marker, take its Sector cube and place it on its Collapse Track, to the right of the space with the red value. Then move forward the Production marker of the side controlling this sector a number of spaces equal to the Production Value of that sector.
13.1.2 Lafayette
If, after drawing the Event cards on turn 10, the Lafayette Event has still not been triggered, place the Lafayette marker on the Entente Trade Track, on the space with the flag.
Once placed on the Trade Track, the Lafayette marker is moved forward one space at the end of each turn.
The Lafayette marker awards the Entente an increasing number of Resource Points each turn, when Resource Points are collected. This amount is indicated by the position of the Lafayette marker on the Trade Track.
13.2 Surrender
13.2.1 Overview
If you need to move forward a cube on a sector's Collapse track, but it is already on the right-most space (and can therefore no longer advance), that country surrenders immediately.
If a country surrenders, place a White Flag marker in its sector. This sector will no longer generate any RP. Adjust the Production marker accordingly.
The side that caused the surrender moves forward its Victory Point marker according to the Victory Points value of the sector that surrendered (as indicated in 13.2.2).
13.2.2 Sector Victory Point Values
Entente
- Russia: 3 VP
- Italy, Middle East, Romania: 2 VP
- Serbia, Africa, Greece: 1 VP
Central Powers
- Austria-Hungary: 3 VP
- Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria: 2 VP
- German Colonies: 1 VP
13.2.3 Surrender of Romania
If Romania surrenders, the Central Powers gain 1 extra RP each turn. Adjust the Production marker accordingly.
13.2.4 Surrender of France or Germany
If France or Germany surrenders, sudden death is triggered (see 14.1 Sudden Death) and the game ends immediately. The opposing side wins the game.
13.3 Russian Revolution
When Russia receives reinforcements, one die is rolled for each RP spent to obtain reinforcements.
If at least one '1' is rolled, the Russian Revolution marker is moved forward one space on the Russian Revolution Track.
The Russian Revolution is triggered when the Russian Revolution marker reaches the last space of the Russian Revolution Track. Starting from the next turn, Russia no longer produces any resources and can no longer receive reinforcements. Adjust the Production marker accordingly.
Victory Points are awarded to the Central Powers only when Russia surrenders as a consequence of its sector cube not being able to move forward on the Collapse Track (see 13.2.1). This means that the outbreak of the Russian Revolution and the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk Event do not award Victory Points.
Example: The Entente player decides to send three reinforcements to Russia (at a cost of 6 RP). He must roll 6 dice. He rolls 1, 1, 1, 3, 5 and 6. He must therefore move forward the Russian Revolution marker one space. If this marker reaches the last space of the track, revolution breaks out in Russia.
End of Game
There are two possibilities to trigger the end of the game: by sudden death or when the armistice is signed.
14.1 Sudden Death
The game ends immediately in the event of Sudden Death. Sudden Death is triggered in three cases:
- when France surrenders. The Central Powers then immediately win the game,
- when Germany surrenders. The Entente then immediately wins the game,
- when one side achieves 6 Victory Points. That side then immediately wins the game.
Note: If both sides trigger Sudden Death at the same time, neither side wins. This may occur, for example, with the Spanish Flu Event, or, more rarely, during a counter-attack.
14.2 Armistice
14.2.1 Overview
Otherwise, the game ends in two cases:
- at the end of the turn during which the Peace Negotiations card was drawn, or
- at the end of turn 14.
In both cases, the side with the most Prestige Points is declared the winner (see 14.2.2 Calculating Prestige Points). In the event of a tie, the Central Powers side wins the game.
14.2.2 Calculating Prestige Points
Each player calculates their total Prestige Points as follows:
- For each country still At War, the player multiplies the sector's current Operational Value (OV) (value on the left of the Sector cube) by its Prestige Value (PV), i.e.:
- Germany: 5
- France: 4
- Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Italy, Middle East: 3
- Other sectors: 1
- To the total thus obtained, each player adds the number of Victory Points (VP) indicated by their marker on the Victory Points Track.
Note: Prestige values are used to calculate Prestige points earned by the players.
Note: The Prestige Value for each sector is also indicated on the Player Aid.
How to calculate Prestige Points: TOTAL PP = (OV x PV) + VP
Example:
Entente:
- France: 1 x 4 = 4PP
- Russia: no longer at war because of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk = 0 PP
- Italy: 2 x 3 = 6PP
- Romania: 1 x 1 = 1PP
- Serbia: has surrendered = 0 PP
- Greece: 1 x 1 = 1PP
- Middle East: 1 x 3 = 3PP
- Africa: 0 x 1 = 0 PP
- VP: 1VP (German Colonies have surrendered) = 1PP
- Total Entente: 16PP
Central Powers:
- Germany: 2 x 5 = 10PP
- Austria-Hungary: 1 x 3 = 3PP
- Ottoman Empire: 1 x 3 = 3PP
- Bulgaria: 1 x 1 = 1PP
- German Colonies: have surrendered = 0 PP
- VP: 1VP (Serbia has surrendered) = 1PP
- Total Central Powers: 18PP
Victory for the Central Powers!
Quick-Play Rules
The following rules allow you to shorten the game. The feeling is not quite the same as with the full set of rules, and is similar to that experienced when playing the original version, published in issue 145 of the VaeVictis magazine.
15.1 Setting Up the Game
No changes, except:
- NAVAL and AIR RAID technologies are not used.
15.2 Flow of the Game
Initiative: do not use the optional rule.
15.3 Spending RP
NAVAL and AIR RAID technologies are not used.
Improvement: when a Technology level is unlocked, consider that all sectors immediately implement this Technology at no RP cost.
However, a sector cannot benefit from a level of technology if the Technological Improvements track does not allow it.
Example: If the Central Powers unlock level 4 of the Defence technology, only Germany will be able to benefit from this bonus.
Variant: Rewriting History
After several games, you may want to add more randomness to your games, even if it means omitting certain events. Proceed as explained in the rules below.
16.1 Event Cards
At the start of each new year (turns 2, 5, 8 and 11), randomly add 6 cards from that year's deck to the Event deck, without looking at them (see exception below).
Exception: The cards Italy at war!, Romania at war!, Bulgaria at war! and Greece at war! must be among the 6 cards to be added.
Note: Set aside all Event cards that have not been added to the Event deck. Those cards may be drawn by the Central Powers (according to 16.2 Air Raid variant).
Each turn, randomly draw two Event cards (instead of the usual three) and apply their effects.
If the Event card has a blue corner and the year 1914 is over, then the Event in question has no effect. Do not however draw another card.
If there is any doubt about the order in which Events should be applied, begin with the card with the lowest number.
16.2 Air Raid
The Air Raid rule is modified as follows:
A 1 level differential in favour of the Central Powers allows the CP Player to cancel one Event with a green corner drawn this turn.
A 2 level differential allows the Central Powers player to cancel one Event with a green corner drawn this turn and to draw one Event from the pile of Event cards previously set aside. This Event may or may not be applied (in which case it is discarded without effect), at the discretion of the Central Powers player.
A 3 level differential allows the Central Powers player to cancel one Event with a green corner drawn this turn and to choose one Event from the pile of Event cards previously set aside. This Event may or may not be applied (in which case it is discarded without effect), at the discretion of the CP player. In addition, the Entente player receives only half the Resource Points (rounded down) normally allocated by the markers placed on their Trade Track.
Playing Solitaire
La Der Des Ders can also be played solitaire using the usual rules, with a few exceptions as listed below.
Your opponent will be called 'Athena', the Greek goddess of strategy.
17.1 Choosing Sides
Before the start of the game, decide which side you wish to play. Athena will play the other side.
17.2 Cornflower Cards
The solitaire game uses additional cards, called Cornflower cards, which dictate Athena's actions.
These cards are divided into three sections:
- Technologies
- Reinforcements
- Offensives
Shuffle all the Cornflower cards at the start of each turn.
17.3 Sequence of Play
The sequence of play differs slightly from the two-player game:
Sequence of play
- Determine initiative
- Draw Event cards (Air Raid, if applicable)
- Collect Resource Points
- Naval Control (player then Athena)
- Spend Resource Points
- a) Reinforcements then Technologies (player)
- b) Technologies then Reinforcements (Athena)
- c) Offensives (in turn - starting with the side with initiative)
- Additional reinforcements
- End of turn
17.4 Initiative
The player always carries out actions first, except when launching offensives.
The side with the initiative always carries out the first offensive of the turn. Offensives are then declared and carried out in turn.
The Turn Track indicates which side has the initiative for the current turn.
17.5 Events
See section 18. Events List for more information on how to apply the effects of the cards during your solitaire games.
Note that compulsory offensives (i.e. Battle of Verdun, Battle of the Somme, Brusilov Offensive, Battle of Gaza, Passchendaele) must be resolved during the Offensives sub-phase on the turn they are drawn, even if the Cornflower card does not indicate an offensive for the corresponding sector.
17.6 How to Play Athena
At the start of the game, shuffle all the Cornflower cards and form a draw pile. Draw a card when required.
17.6.1 Air Raid
This only applies if Athena is played by the Central Powers.
Athena always cancels an Event with a green corner if she can.
Athena always draws a new Event if possible and applies it if it is favourable to the Central Powers.
In the Rewriting History variant (see 16), Athena always chooses an Event favourable to the Central Powers from the cards set aside, if possible. If there is more than one card to choose from, select the one with the lowest number.
17.6.2 Unlocking Levels of Technology
Draw one Cornflower card.
The top of the card shows the amount of RP which should be spent in order to attempt to unlock a new level in each of the technologies.
x means that there is no attempt for that technology.
For each level of technology to be unlocked, roll the die, apply any modifier listed on the card, then add the modifiers provided by the Technological Research cubes (if any).
For each attempt, reduce Athena's RP accordingly.
If Athena doesn't have enough RP to make all the attempts requested, spend as much as you can.
Athena never re-rolls the die.
If Athena succeeds in unlocking a level of technology, advance all cylinders of the corresponding technology in all sectors under Athena's control. These technological improvements cost no RP.
Example: We are on turn 7 (last turn of 1916). Athena (CP) has unlocked the Firepower (Attack), Trenches (Defence), Heavy Artillery (Artillery), Jagdstaffeln (Aviation), Raiders (Naval) and Zeppelins (Air Raid) levels of technology. The Cornflower card shown below is drawn. Athena must ignore the Attack technology, (which has already been unlocked for year 1916), and the Defence and Aviation technologies (the card shows an x). She must attempt to unlock the Artillery Barrage level by spending 2RP (which gives her a +1 modifier to the die - if she has previously tried to unlock this level, she also benefits from the bonuses provided by the Technological Research cubes). She also must attempt to unlock the U-Boot Production level by spending 1RP (no modifier). The Air Raid Technology is ignored: the 1915 level has already been unlocked, and the next one will only be available from 1917.
When a country controlled by Athena enters the war, arrange the cylinders on the Technological Improvements board to implement all the levels which Athena has unlocked.
17.6.3 Reinforcing Sectors
Reinforce sectors that have suffered losses in previous turns, in the following order:
- the sector which suffered the most losses (i.e. the sector whose cube is furthest from its maximum), then
- the sector with the second most losses, then
- in the following order, ignoring the sectors already covered above:
- France, Russia, Italy, Serbia, Romania, Middle East, Africa, Greece (Entente)
- Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire (Central Powers).
Note: In the event of a tie during the first or second steps, refer to the order indicated in the third step.
Note: German Colonies are never reinforced.
For each sector concerned:
- Draw as many Cornflower cards as there are spaces separating the Sector cube from the space with the red value (included),
- Among the cards that have been drawn, count the number of cards having the name of that sector on them,
- Move the cube back on the Collapse Track by the same number of spaces (up to a maximum of 3 spaces),
- Pay the cost in RP as usual. If there are not enough RP left, move the cube to the best of Athena's ability.
Then continue in the same way for the next sectors.
Note: Russian Revolution rule (see 13.3) still applies.
This phase ends when Athena no longer has enough RP, or when all the sectors have been able to "try their luck".
Example: The sector that suffered the most losses is Austria-Hungary, whose sector cube is 4 spaces away from the red value. The player draws 4 cards. 3 of these are marked Austria-Hungary. The Sector cube is moved 3 spaces to the left, and 6RP are removed form Athena's total (1+2+3). As the German Colonies cannot receive reinforcements, there is a tie for the second sector between the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. Bulgaria has priority. Once Bulgaria has been reinforced, the player relies on the third bullet to determine the priorities (first Germany, then the Ottoman Empire).
17.6.4 Launching Offensives
Each side launches an offensive in turn, starting with the side that has the initiative.
When it is Athena's turn to attack, draw one Cornflower card. The lower part of the card indicates the sector Athena is attacking.
The sector to be attacked is the one on the left if Athena is playing the Entente, and the one on the right if she is playing the Central Powers.
The sector indicated on the card must always be attacked by the sector with the best chance of inflicting damage (usually the one with the highest current Operational Value) and which has not yet launched an offensive this turn. In the event of a tie, preference should be given to the sector least likely to be able to attack elsewhere.
The size of the offensive is equal to the current Operational Value, if the number of RP remaining allows it. Otherwise it is reduced to the number of remaining RP.
You can use the Offensive markers to remind you which sector attacked which other sector.
Once Athena's RP have been spent and the losses applied, take your own turn to launch an offensive (or pass). Then draw a new Cornflower card to determine Athena's next offensive. And so on.
Note: If the sector indicated on the Cornflower card cannot be attacked (because it is neutral or has surrendered), Athena does not launch an offensive.
A sector can only launch one offensive per turn.
This phase ends when Athena no longer has any RP to spend, or when 3 Cornflower cards have been drawn for which the indicated offensive could not be applied at all.
List of Events
In blue: Cards that are discarded without effect when drawn after 1914.
In green: Cards that can be cancelled by the Central Powers player using the Air Raid technology.
In red: Cards that cannot be cancelled.
A pictogram indicates when the card's effects apply:
- ! : Immediately
- o : During the Collecting Resource Points phase
- x : During offensives
If two Events occur simultaneously, begin with the effects of the card with the lowest number.
In italics you will find clarifications, in particular for the solitaire game. Sentences beginning with the name of the side in brackets only apply if Athena is playing that side, i.e. CP for the Central Powers and ENT for the Entente.
Reminder:
- "move forward" means "move to the right".
- "move backward" means "move to the left".
1914
1- Schlieffen Plan: Immediate and free offensive by Germany against France, with three Attack dice. Each of the Attack dice benefits from +1. This Event costs no RP and does not count towards the limit of one offensive per turn: Germany can therefore, if it wishes, re-attack France during the Offensive sub-phase of this turn, by spending the necessary RP (and without benefiting from the bonuses conferred by the Schlieffen Plan Event card).
2- Belgian Fortifications: Germany does not benefit from the +1 to Attack dice conferred by the Schlieffen Plan Event.
3- Russian Offensive: This turn, Russia benefits from a free additional Attack die and +1 to all its Attack dice when attacking Germany. (ENT) Athena's first offensive must be made by Russia against Germany.
4- Tannenberg / Miracle on the Marne: Once this turn, each player can force their opponent to cancel and re-roll any dice that cause losses as a result of Schlieffen Plan and/or Russian Offensive Events. The new result must be applied.
1915
5- Shell Shortage: This turn, all Entente sectors suffer -1 to their Attack and Artillery dice. (ENT) If a Cornflower card would cause a French offensive against Germany, roll a die. On 3-6, France cannot launch any offensive this turn; choose an other valid sector from which to launch this offensive.
6- Von Lettow in Africa: Permanent effect until the German Colonies surrender. Put the Event 6 marker on the game board as a reminder. Central Powers offensives against Africa no longer cost RP. (CP) Athena must conduct an offensive in Africa each turn - this offensive is launched the first time that Athena is unable to launch an offensive specified by a Cornflower card.
7- Siege of Przemyśl: This turn, all losses caused to the defender by a Russian offensive against Austria-Hungary are doubled. (ENT) Athena's first offensive must be made by Russia against Austria-Hungary.
8- Ypres: This turn, Germany benefits from +2 to all its Artillery dice during an offensive against France. If its Artillery level is 0, it rolls one Artillery die with no bonus instead. (CP) Athena's first offensive must be made by Germany against France.
9- Battle of Gallipoli: This turn, the Entente loses 1d6 RP on the Resource Track after collecting RP. Serbia moves its Sector cube back one space on the Collapse Track, at no RP cost.
10- The Lusitania Torpedoed: Place the Event 10 marker on the game board. If Zimmermann Telegram (24) has already been drawn, place the Lafayette marker on the Entente Trade Track, in the space with the flag. This card has no effect if the Lafayette marker has already been placed.
11- Italy at War!: Italy immediately enters the war on the side of the Entente. Remove the Neutral marker. Place the Sector cube on its Collapse Track and move the Production marker forward two spaces.
12- Heia Safari: This turn, the German Colonies receive one extra Attack die. In addition, they move their Sector cube back one space on the Collapse Track, at no RP cost. (CP) Athena's first offensive must be against Africa.
13- Bulgaria at War!: Bulgaria immediately enters the war on the side of the Central Powers. Remove the Neutral marker. Place the Sector cube on its Collapse Track and move the Production marker forward one space.
1916
14- Battle of Verdun: This turn, Germany must launch an offensive against France using all possible Attack dice, up to its Operational Value. Any losses inflicted on France by the Attack dice are also inflicted on Germany. (CP) This will be Athena's first offensive.
15- Battle of Jutland: Roll 1d6:
- 1: Grand Fleet defeated - Central Powers immediately gain 3RP.
- 2-4: Minor German defeat - no effect.
- 5: Major German defeat - the Entente gains +1 on the Naval Control Table for the rest of the game. Place the Event 15 marker on the board as a reminder.
- 6: Hochseeflotte destroyed - definitive blockade - the Entente no longer rolls on the Naval Control Table for the rest of the game. The Central Powers no longer gain the 3RP awarded each turn by the Kaiserliche Marine. Move the Kaiserliche Marine marker on the right so that the '3' is hidden from view.
16- W. Wilson intervenes!: The Central Powers player no longer rolls on the Naval Control Table. Place the Event 16 marker on the board as a reminder. This Event is cancelled when the Unrestricted Submarine Warfare Event (23) is drawn or when Lafayette, We Are Here! is triggered.
17- Kut-el-Amara: Once this turn, the Ottoman Empire may cancel and re-roll all the Attack dice they wish during an offensive against the Middle East. (CP) Athena's first offensive is necessarily by the Ottoman Empire against the Middle East. Athena re-rolls any Attack dice that didn't inflict loss.
18- Trentino Offensive: This turn, Austria-Hungary benefits from one extra Attack die and +1 to all its Attack dice during an offensive against Italy. (CP) Athena's first offensive must be made by Austria-Hungary against Italy.
19- Brusilov Offensive: This turn, Russia must launch an offensive against Austria-Hungary and benefits from +1 to all its Attack dice. Once the losses have been applied, the attacker may choose to re-roll (benefiting from the +1) any Attack dice that showed 5 or 6 and inflict further losses. Each re-rolled die that does not show 5 or 6 inflicts one loss on Russia. (ENT) This will be Athena's first offensive. Athena will always re-roll once if the die shows 5 or 6.
20- Arab Revolt: The Ottoman Empire moves its Sector cube forward one space on the Collapse Track.
21- Battle of the Somme: This turn, France must launch an offensive against Germany using all possible Attack dice, up to its Operational Value. Attack dice benefit from +1. All losses inflicted on Germany by the Attack dice are also inflicted on France. (ENT) This will be Athena's first offensive.
22- Romania at War!: Romania immediately enters the war on the side of the Entente. Remove the Neutral marker. Place the Sector cube on its Collapse Track and move the Production marker forward one space. Reminder: If Romania has surrendered, the Central Powers gain 1 additional RP each turn.
1917
23- Unrestricted Submarine Warfare: The Central Powers receive +1 on the Naval Control Table until the end of the war. This Event cancels the W. Wilson intervenes! Event (16). Place the Event 23 marker on the game board as a reminder.
24- Zimmermann Telegram: Place the Event 24 marker on the game board. If The Lusitania Torpedoed (10) has already been drawn, place the Lafayette counter on the Entente Trade Track, in the space with the flag. This card has no effect if the Lafayette marker has already been placed.
25- Battle of Gaza: This turn, the Middle East must launch an offensive against the Ottoman Empire using all possible Attack dice, up to its Operational Value. All dice rolls which result in a loss are cancelled and re-rolled, one time only. (ENT) This will be Athena's first offensive.
26- Battle of Vimy: This turn, add +1 to all dice during a French offensive against Germany. (ENT) Athena's first offensive must be made by France against Germany.
27- French Army Mutinies: This turn, all France's Attack dice and Artillery dice suffer a -1. (ENT) If a Cornflower card would cause a French offensive, roll a die. On 3-6, France does not launch any offensive this turn.
28- Greece at War!: Greece immediately enters the war on the side of the Entente. Remove the Neutral marker. Place the Sector cube on its Collapse Track.
29- Passchendaele: This turn, France must launch an offensive against Germany with all the Attack dice possible, up to its Operational Value. All losses inflicted on Germany by the Attack dice are also inflicted on France. (ENT) This will be Athena's first offensive.
30- Lawrence of Arabia: The Ottoman Empire moves its Sector cube forward one space on the Collapse Track.
31- Battle of Caporetto: This turn, Austria-Hungary benefits from one extra Attack die and +1 to all its Attack dice during an offensive against Italy. (CP) Athena's first offensive must be made by Austria-Hungary against Italy.
32- Nothing to Report: This card does not generate any events.
1918
33- Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: Russia exits the war immediately. It can no longer produce RP, nor reinforce, or launch an offensive, or be the target of an offensive. The CP player moves Germany's Sector cube backward 2 spaces on the Collapse track, at no RP cost. Russia's exit from the war via this Event does not grant VPs nor PPs.
34- Operation Michael: This turn, Germany benefits from one additional Attack die and one additional Artillery die for an offensive against France. (CP) Athena's first offensive must be from Germany against France, using this bonus.
35- Unified Command: Until the end of the game, France benefits from +1 to all its Attack dice. Place the Event 35 marker on the game board as a reminder. (ENT) Athena's first offensive must be from France against Germany.
36- Louis Franchet d'Espèrey: Permanently add one free Attack die to any offensive launched from Greece. Place the Event 36 marker on the game board as a reminder. Discard this card without effect if Greece is not at war.
37- Friedenstürm: This turn, Germany may launch two offensives against France instead of one. The player must pay the cost of these offensives. (CP) Athena's first two offensives must be from Germany into France.
38- Villers-Cotterêts: This turn, France benefits from +1 to all its Attack dice. (ENT) Athena's first offensive must be from France into Germany.
39- Spanish Flu: Each sector moves its Sector cube forward 1 space on the Collapse Track. Exception: 2 spaces for France and Germany.
40- Battle of Megiddo: This turn, the Entente player gets one extra Attack die (at no RP cost) for any offensive from the Middle East against the Ottoman Empire. (ENT) Athena's first offensive must be from the Middle East against the Ottoman Empire.
41- Pariser Kanonen: This turn, the Entente receives 1 less RP during the Collect RP phase. Roll a die at the start of each turn: If you get 4 or less, the card is discarded. Otherwise, the Entente receives 1 less RP during the Collect RP phase. Place the Event 41 marker on the game board as a reminder and leave it there as long as this Event is in effect.
42- Peace Negotiations: The game ends at the end of this turn.
Note: Players must pay the cost of mandatory offensives (Battle of Verdun, Battle of the Somme, Brusilov Offensive, Battle of Gaza and Passchendaele).
Lafayette, We Are Here!
As soon as the The Lusitania Torpedoed and Zimmermann Telegram Events have been drawn, place the Lafayette marker on the space of the Entente Trade Track with the flag. This marker is moved forward one space at the end of each turn and represents the number of additional RP gained by the Entente.
If, at the end of the turn 10 Event phase, Lafayette, We Are Here! has still not been triggered, place the Lafayette marker on the space of the Entente Trade Track with the flag. This marker is moved forward one space at the end of each turn.
Example of Play (Solitaire)
Let's imagine a solitaire game in which François chooses to embody the Central Powers. His virtual opponent (Athena) will lead the Entente. François decides not to use any optional rules or variants.
The game is set up according to the instructions on page 8.
Turn 1
Determining initiative
François has the initiative, as indicated on the Turn Track.
Draw Event cards
Three Event cards are drawn:
- Schlieffen Plan (1)
- Russian Offensive (3)
- Tannenberg / Marne (4)
François begins by applying Schlieffen Plan, which triggers an immediate offensive against France (at no RP cost). As indicated on the Event card, he rolls 3 Attack dice and adds +1 to each. He rolls 1, 2 and 6. The first die (1) inflicts a loss on Germany (counter-attack), which moves its cube one space to the right on its Collapse track. The second die (2+1) fails (Germany's Attack value is 4), and the third should inflict a loss on France (6 is an automatic success), but because of the Tannenberg / Marne card, François is forced to re-roll the die. He rolls a 1, which has no effect (only one counterattack loss per offensive).
Collecting Resource Points
The Central Powers gain 13RP and the Entente 8RP. The cubes are moved accordingly on the Resource Track.
Naval Control
François rolls on the Naval Control Table. He rolls a 5. The Entente should lose 2RP, but as the Trade Track only provides them with one (for the moment), they only lose 1RP.
Athena cannot make a Naval Control die roll, as she has not yet unlocked the first level of Naval technology.
Spending Resource Points - Reinforcements (François)
François decides not to reinforce (i.e. move the cube back on the Collapse track). A strange decision!
Spending Resource Points - Technologies (François)
François tries to unlock the Machine Gun level of technology (Defence), the only one available to him for the year 1914. He spends 2RP, which gives him +1 on his die roll. He rolls a 1, which is an automatic failure. He places a Technological Research cube on the Machine Gun level on the Technology Tree board (and will receive a +1 on his next attempt).
Note: if François had succeeded in his die roll (by obtaining 3 or more), Germany would have benefited from this technological advance at no RP cost. Other sectors would have had to pay 1RP to see their green cylinder advanced by one space.
Spending Resource Points - Technologies (Athena)
One Cornflower card is drawn. The card indicates that Athena must attempt to unlock the Attack, Defence, Artillery and Naval levels. As no Attack or Artillery levels are available in 1914, only Machine Gun (Defence) and Naval Blockade (Naval) will be attempted.
Athena spends 1RP for Defence technology and therefore does not benefit from any bonus. One die is rolled and a 3 is obtained. The Machine Gun level is unlocked. The Entente's Defence marker is placed on the Machine Gun box of her Technology Tree. All Entente countries, even those not yet At War, benefit immediately (at no RP cost) from this technological improvement, and move their green cylinder up one space on the Entente Technological Improvements board.
For Naval technology, Athena spends 2RP (and thus benefits from a +1 on her die roll). She rolls a 6. The Naval Blockade level is unlocked. She moves her Naval marker to the Naval Blockade box on the Technology Tree and places a blue cube on the Lock box (by the Naval Control table). On her next turn, she too can perform Naval Control rolls.
Spending Resource Points - Reinforcements (Athena)
None of the Entente sectors are being reinforced, all being at their maximum.
Spending Resource Points - Offensives
Let's move on to the offensives. The Central Powers have 11RP left and the Entente has 5RP. The Central Powers have the initiative.
François decides that Germany should launch an offensive against France. He spends 2RP to make an attack with two Attack dice (its Operational Value having dropped due to the previous offensives, he can no longer roll 3 Attack dice). François rolls 2 and 4. These are two failures (thanks to its Machine Gun level, France inflicts a -1 on the dice).
Because of the Russian Offensive card, the Entente's first offensive necessarily involves Russia and Germany. Athena spends 3RP to benefit from 3 dice (Russia's current Operational Value). Thanks to the Russian Offensive card, Athena benefits from an additional Attack die and +1 to all her Attack dice. She rolls the dice and gets 1, 1, 5 and 6. The 1s have no effect, as the counter-attack is invalid, the target (Germany) having attacked a sector other than the one now attacking it. François decides to take advantage of the Tannenberg Event to force Athena to re-roll the two dice intended to inflict losses on Germany. She rolls 4 and 4. Both results are successful, thanks to the +1 conferred by the Russian Offensive card. The German cube is moved forward two spaces on the Collapse Track.
Next, François decides to launch an offensive against Africa, for 2RP. He rolls one 1 and one 6. Africa moves its cube forward one space on the Collapse Track. German Colonies ignore counter-attacks.
The Entente has 1RP left. A Cornflower card is drawn.
Athena must attack Austria-Hungary. Only Serbia is eligible, as Russia has already launched an offensive and Italy is still neutral. She spends her last RP and therefore rolls only one die. A 5 is rolled, resulting in a loss for Austria-Hungary, which moves its Sector cube forward one space.
François decides to attack Russia from the Ottoman Empire. He spends 2RP and rolls two 5s. Russia's cube is moved forward two spaces.
Athena has no more RPs and is forced to pass.
François decides to save his remaining 5RP for a future turn and passes as well.
Additional Reinforcements
Athena moves her Merchant Navy marker forward one space (and her Production marker one space). A new turn can begin. The Cornflower cards are shuffled.
Turn 2
Determining initiative
The Central Powers player retains the initiative, as shown on the Turn Track.
Draw Event cards
The 1915 cards are added to the draw pile and shuffled.
Three Event cards are drawn:
- Belgian Fortifications (2)
- Battle of Gallipoli (9)
- Italy at War! (11)
Belgian Fortifications has no effect (the blue corner indicates that the Event is only active in 1914).
Italy at war!: The Neutral marker is removed. Italy's cube is placed on the (black) 2 of its Collapse Track. The Entente's Production marker is moved forward two spaces (Italy's production value).
Collecting Resource Points
The Central Powers collect 13RP, for a total of 18RP. The Entente collects 10RP.
Athena rolls a die to see how many RP she loses because of the Battle of Gallipoli Event. It is a 3. Her total RP is adjusted (10 - 3 = 7). Serbia could regain 1 point on the Collapse Track, but is already at its maximum.
Naval Control
François rolls a 3. The Entente loses 0 RP.
Athena rolls a 5. The Central Powers lose 3RP.
Spending Resource Points - Reinforcements (François)
François spends 3RP to enable Germany to recover 2 reinforcements (move its cube back two spaces on the Collapse Track) (1RP for the first reinforcement + 2RP for the second reinforcement).
He chooses not to reinforce Austria-Hungary. German colonies can never receive reinforcements.
Spending Resource Points - Technologies (François)
Due to lack of space, we won't go into detail here.
Spending Resource Points - Reinforcements (Athena)
Athena can reinforce Russia with two reinforcements. Two cards are drawn. Both are marked "Russia". The cube is moved back two spaces on the Collapse track. Athena then rolls two dice on the Russian Revolution Track. She rolls two 1s. The Russian Revolution marker is moved forward one space, as at least one 1 has been rolled.
To be continued...
Designer's Notes
In my first game design (No Man's Land: Trench Warfare, published by Ludifolie), I offered an overview of the historical development of trench warfare at a tactical level. For La Der des Ders, I felt the need to take a step back and look at the First World War in its entirety.
The first version of La Der des Ders appeared in issue 145 of the VaeVictis magazine. Founded in 1995, VaeVictis has been promoting historical games ever since. It was a source of great pride to be given the opportunity to have our game included in the insert. The feedback had been very good, and many players had expressed the wish to see this quick and instructive game published in a box one day, free from the constraints of the magazine format. It's now here with this Hexasim edition, which meets all my expectations and, I'm sure, yours too.
When I created La Der des Ders, the main objective was accessibility: the game had to be playable by as many people as possible. That's why the inclusion of a solo mode was never considered to be optional. On the contrary, it was built into the very genes of the system from the earliest design stages. That's why La Der des Ders can be played both head-to-head or alone, with the option of playing either side. I also felt it was important for the game to be comprehensible to a wide audience. The rules had to be simple enough to be understood by the casual player, even if it meant departing from the canon of historical games.
For this re-release, in line with players' expectations, it was decided not to reinvent the wheel. The few adjustments made are aimed at making the game more historical (such as the number of artillery dice to be rolled during an offensive) and more user-friendly (cards for events, individual tracks for nations and the use of cubes and other cylinders).
When designing the system, the introduction of random events was a natural choice. They make it possible to stick as closely as possible to historical events without making the rules too cumbersome. The choice wasn't always easy, and some had to be removed for lack of space. Nevertheless, the diversity of the selected events should give a fairly complete picture of the conflict. To ensure that games will carry their load of surprises, a variant is proposed to make the triggering of events more random.
The Resource Points spent during an offensive correspond to the human and material resources that are committed. The game is not simply about armies fighting it out to achieve a breakthrough. The idea is rather to drive the opposing countries to surrender. To achieve this, players will have to find the right balance between gaining the initiative, developing technologies, launching offensives, raising troops to make up for losses and controlling the seas. The Resource Points distributed each turn will quickly become insufficient, particularly for the German player. In this new edition, nations must now pay Resource Points to gain access to their unlocked technologies. This makes resource management even more critical and increases the possibilities.
The Technology Trees have been designed to reflect the "industrial" nature of warfare and give an idea of how tactics and equipment available to combatants are evolving. They can represent the research and development of a new weapon, as well as the decision to apply a way of waging war that had already been known for many years (trenches, naval blockade). They recall the increase in the volume of fire and mobility (up to the appearance of tanks), the intensive use of defensive measures (up to the construction of the Siegfried Line), the use of artillery (gas, rolling barrages, putting German Colonel Bruchmüller's ideas into practice), and the battle between the two sides to produce ever more efficient aircraft. The naval dimension is still present, but benefits from the addition of a new technology: the Entente can now make its shipping routes safer (convoys, decoy ships), and the Central Powers can make them more dangerous (raiders, submarines). Another new technology is strategic bombing. This addition was the subject of much heated debate. Admittedly, the impact of air raids was less than during the Second World War. It did, however, provoke a stir among Londoners. The government took swift action, but we can imagine more serious consequences - economic and, above all, political - if nothing had been done to protect the cities and their inhabitants.
The most delicate task was certainly balancing the values assigned to the different countries. For each country we had to take into account the quality of its army, its industrial power, its capacity to absorb losses, but also its willingness to continue the war. The values attributed to the belligerents therefore have to be considered in relation to each other.
The Russian Revolution Track slightly evolved. The challenge was to ensure that this region did not surrender too easily, but that players could still feel the slow erosion of Russian willingness to accept the Tsarist regime. The origin of this track lies in the assumption that defeats ultimately displeased the Russian people, who had to constantly replenish their ranks thinned by fighting. That included soldiers who were killed, of course, but also soldiers more liable to surrender to the enemy without fighting. The revolution that broke out in February 1917 did not signal the end of the war for Russia, any more than the October revolution, but it made it even more difficult to replace the soldiers who had disappeared (as a rule, this meant that it was impossible to bring in new reinforcements).
A word about the Ottoman Empire. Some attentive players have noticed that it is playable from the first turn, even though it only really enters the war in October 1914 with the bombardment of the Russian Black Sea ports – a bombardment carried out with the help of the famous German cruisers Goeben and Breslau, which the Entente had tried in vain to capture a few weeks earlier. As the first round runs from August to December, the possibility of playing this sector at the very start of the game is not incongruous.
La Der des Ders stems from the desire to show the difficult choices that have to be made at the top of the decision-making pyramid rather than from the idea to design a purely military simulation. This is the reason why there is no counter featuring the British Expeditionary Force, for example. It was integrated into the troops fighting in France. The same applies to the Belgians, Portuguese and Canadians - who distinguished themselves at the Battle of Vimy Ridge - to name but a few.
While not all fronts have the same strategic value, which is reflected in Victory Points, it would be dangerous for a player to underestimate their importance in the final tally. More than a hundred years later, the tactic of nibbling away at the enemy could perhaps bear fruit. This is also borne out when considering Prestige Points, since the nation's final "state of health" will have a direct impact on this calculation.
Finally, a few words about the production of the game itself. By mutual agreement with the publisher, we decided that this game had to be aesthetically pleasing, so as to attract a public interested in the subject but not so keen on historical simulations. We also wanted to ensure that the game's components were worthy of a board game, so that it didn't look boring, while still being affordable. The double-layer boards are the most visible aspect. They're not there just for show. They come in very handy when an unfortunate blow against the table could have shifted the cubes, bringing the game to a premature end (it's a true story!). Everything stays in place. And it's all the more fun.
I also wanted to take advantage of everything I'd been made aware of in my previous experiences. A great deal of thought has gone into ergonomics, in order to improve the player's experience, a point too often neglected by authors and publishers. My starting point is that it's not up to the player to make the effort; on the contrary, it's the designer's duty to make it easier to learn the system and put it into practice. In the end, all those little things that could easily have been done without (Production markers to avoid having to recount your Resource Points at the start of each turn, Event markers to remember to apply this or that modifier, the positioning of Event cards on the edge of the game board so that those likely to hinder the player's movements are taken first, etc.) do reduce the mental load on the player, who can then enjoy the game to the full.
This also includes writing the rulebook. It's very important for a designer to be a good listener. All opinions are welcome. So we reread, corrected, had it reread, corrected, reread again, destructured, restructured... We didn't want to settle for an acceptable booklet. We wanted it to deliver its message without any ambiguity because, once again, we assume that it's not up to the player to make the effort. I hope I haven't failed in my mission. Because of the language barrier, I wasn't able to be as fussy with the English version, but the translator (and his proofreaders) are very reliable people, so you should be pleased with the result.
A successful layout must be pleasing to the eye, consistent and at the same time make the rules easy to understand. We therefore spent a lot of time thinking about its structure (font, shape of the various boxes, etc.).
The sans-serif font used makes the booklet easier to read for people with dyslexia. I'm also aware that the text should not have been justified. The colours used, whether for the game board or the various elements, have been validated by a colour-blind person. You'll also notice that, depending on their colour, the corner of the Event cards differs. It's a little trick that's easy to implement and allows everyone to play. It was important to me not to leave anyone out.
This new version of La Der des Ders took longer than expected. We didn't want to take the easy way out and do the minimum. We wanted to improve the game, both in content and form. We listened to you and took on board everything there was to take on board. We wanted to do things right, so that you wouldn't be disappointed. I hope the result lives up to your expectations.
Historical Notes
The numbers in bold correspond to the cards to which the reported Events relate, while the names in bold correspond to the levels of technology to be unlocked.
First World War, Total War
The First World War was supposed to be the war to end all wars - to use the expression popularised by Herbert George Wells - a final confrontation, necessary to establish a world of peace threatened by the bellicose spirit of the German people. But the mirage of a swift resolution to the conflict faded as quickly as a profound disillusionment took root. The four years that followed the start of hostilities were a demographic disaster for Europe and a source of profound economic, political and social upheaval; but they were also the breeding ground for major technical and tactical innovations.
If the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914 took on such proportions, it was primarily due to the implementation of more or less secret agreements signed before the war. Originating in Serbia, the war spread like wildfire across Europe, before contaminating other parts of the world, notably Africa and the Middle East, where European presence and influence were very strong. But to win the war, those at the front had to be able to rely on those at the rear, who were responsible for providing them with the means to surpass the enemy. The vital role played by industrialisation in this war was brought into sharp focus by the total exhaustion of ammunition supplies in 1915 (5).
A War Without Borders
When the soldiers boarded the crowded wagons, they thought that they would return for Christmas. Indeed, both France and Germany had developed plans to ensure victory in a matter of weeks: the German Schlieffen Plan (1), drawn up in 1905 and then modified by Chief of the General Staff Von Moltke, in the weeks following the declaration of war; and the French Plan XVII, whose watchword was the all-out offensive.
The initial plans were not perfect and ignored a number of parameters, such as the advantage given to the defender and the evolution in means of transportation, which enabled troops to be mobilised and moved more quickly. The fortifications around Liège (2), which required that 305mm mortars and 420mm howitzers be moved there, and the unexpected resistance of the valiant Belgian army caused an initial setback. The thrust was eventually made and Paris was saved only by the "miracle" of the Marne (3) - remembered for the famous use of taxis, but whose real impact was marginal.
After the Battle of the Frontiers and the Race to the Sea, in which the Germans tried to capture the Channel ports and in which each army tried to outflank the other, the front froze in the West on a 700-kilometre line. The war of maneuver would not resume until the spring of 1918. In the meantime, millions of men would die, sacrificed in offensives that were as deadly as they were pointless. Human losses reached their peak in 1916, the year in which the two sides clashed in offensives of titanic proportions (Verdun (14) 720,000 dead or wounded, the Somme (21) more than a million dead or wounded). The slogans were "Bleed the enemy dry" and "They shall not pass", and they spoke volumes about the strategies employed, which more or less consisted of trying to crush the enemy under a deluge of metal.
The war in Russia was very different from that on the Western Front. The expanses were immense and the Russian people, although poorly supplied and commanded, constituted a reserve of men considered to be inexhaustible (extended Collapse Track). It was thanks to this numerical superiority that the Tsar's troops invaded East Prussia (3) with the aim of seizing Königsberg and opening a new front to counter the Schlieffen Plan in the West. But the battle of Tannenberg (4) put an end to the offensive. On the other hand, the siege of Przemyśl (7), which lasted 6 months, was a crushing defeat for Austria-Hungary, which would not really fully recover from it. By attacking the Austro-Hungarians, who were weaker and less well equipped, the Russians, encouraged to do so by the French and British, forced the Germans to regularly draw on some of their divisions in France to come to the aid of their ally, which led Ludendorff to say that Germany was chained to a corpse.
Although the Russian offensives relieved the allied troops stationed in France, the defeats continued to mount. In 1916, the last military operation was launched: the Brusilov offensive (19). The Austro-Hungarian front broke and panic set in. But the war finally got the better of the Imperial regime (Russian Revolution Track). The ensuing October Revolution of 1917 led to the signing of the Armistice on December 15, 1917, followed by the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (33) on March 3, 1918, allowing Germany to repatriate divisions to the Western Front.
With Italy siding with the Allies in 1915 (11), an alliance won through the London Pact, Austria-Hungary now had to fight an additional enemy. The fighting took place at an altitude of over 3,000 metres, in snow and in trenches dug out in the rock. There were no fewer than twelve battles (18) in the Isonzo valley, none of the first eleven offensives being decisive. The defeat at Caporetto (31), in November 1917 (the twelfth battle), took a heavy toll on the Alpini Corps and almost sounded the death knell for Italy. Armando Diaz, the new Italian chief of staff following the resignation of Luigi Cadorna, reorganised the army and halted the Austrian advance on the Piave, before succeeding, in the end of 1918, in routing them.
The fighting in Africa had little impact on the overall course of the war. While the operations in West Africa quickly put an end to German ambitions, the same could not be said of German East Africa (now Tanzania). Indeed, the actions of Lieutenant-Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck (6), known as "the lion of Africa", who held out against larger forces throughout the war, left a lasting impression. Victorious over the British at the battles of Tanga in 1914 and Jassin in 1915, he led a guerrilla war with his Askari troops (12) forcing the Entente forces to mobilise ever larger numbers against an enemy that constantly managed to free itself from the strangleholds that threatened it. He surrendered to the British forces two days after the Armistice was declared, without ever being defeated.
Thomas Edward Lawrence, known as Lawrence of Arabia (30), was another key figure in the war. As a liaison officer, he forged close links with Arab forces and led guerrilla actions that destabilised the Ottoman Empire. The Great Arab Revolt (1916-1918) enabled a large part of the Arabian Peninsula to be recaptured (20).
It also made up for the affront inflicted on the Allies in 1915, during the disastrous battle of the Dardanelles (9). The Allied ships tasked with attacking the forts protecting the entrance to the Straits had been targeted by effective Ottoman artillery and confronted with a large minefield. The landing had not had the expected results either. Faced with the impossibility of gaining ground, eight months after the start of the operation, it was finally decided to withdraw. After the bitter failure at Gallipoli, the troops were redirected to Salonika, where they earned the nickname of "gardeners". Far from the trenches of the Western Front, the French Armée d'Orient had to contend with appalling living conditions: casualties due to health problems equaled those caused by fire. At the end of the war, on the Allied side, Salonika held back 600,000 men and monopolised 800,000 tons of merchant ships. It was not until 1918 that a major offensive was launched, at the instigation of General Louis Franchet d'Espèrey (36), which led to Bulgaria's capitulation.
The Ultimate Weapon
Once the Western Front became stabilised, the focus shifted to how to achieve the breakthrough that would save the day. Finding this "key" was all the more urgent as the trench system became increasingly elaborate (Trenches). The individual holes quickly gave way to a series of discontinuous parallel lines, connected by trenches. The Germans excelled in this area and dug concrete shelters that astonished their enemies (Blockhaus). The defensive system reached its apogee with the construction of the Hindenburg Line (Siegfriedstellung), stretching back to a depth of several kilometres and forming a veritable labyrinth in perpetual mutation.
The First World War saw the advent of the machine gun (Machine-Guns). Although the machine gun had already distinguished itself in South Africa, it was at the outbreak of hostilities in 1914 that European armies became fully aware of its destructive power. General French, commander of the British Expeditionary Force, calculated that to take an enemy position defended by a single machine gun, the number of attackers had to be fourteen times greater than the number of defenders. Machine-guns were also used indirectly as overwatch or suppressive fire, and positioned in complex patterns to ensure maximum effectiveness.
If the machine gun succeeded in definitively fixing the front line, it would also, in its light version, allow troops to maneuver more, while retaining greater firepower than rifles.
Both sides, mainly the Germans, also used flamethrowers, but without really convincing results. In 1911, a regiment of twelve companies was created and equipped with Flammenwerferapparat. These existed in two versions: the small model (Kleif 1912), with a range of 15 metres, and a larger model (Grof 1912) with a range of 35 metres. In 1916, they were used at Hooge, near Ypres: the British soldiers left their positions, terrorised by the large cloud of black smoke they emitted. But the effect was more psychological than lethal.
During the attack on June 6, 1915, on the Butte de Vauquois, the Paris fire brigade integrated into the 22/6 "special equipment" company of the 1st engineering regiment were equipped with Schilt models. The equipment consisted of an 80-litre petrol tank and bottles of compressed nitrogen. The liquid was directed towards enemy positions and ignited by incendiary grenades. One flashback caused the loss of 69 men.
Flamethrowers were, however, more dangerous weapons for their operators than for their targets, as only one bullet was needed to turn the wearer into a living torch. What's more, their movement is limited by their weight. Despite this, German flamethrowers were used almost 300 times during the war.
In their search for a way to break through enemy defences, the belligerents were interested, to varying degrees, in finding a new weapon that would allow them to cross no-man's-land while being protected from enemy fire. From 1910 onwards, when tracked vehicles were first used for military purposes, a number of projects emerged, but without generating any real enthusiasm. In February 1915, at the instigation of Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, the Landships Committee was set up to develop armoured fighting vehicles. The Mark I was the first tank to be sent to the front (Mark Tanks). It came in two versions: the male was equipped with two six-pounders cannons and Hotchkiss machine guns, and the female with machine guns only. The Marks series would be produced up to the Mark V (excluding prototypes). The French designed the Schneider and the St Chamond, followed by the Renault FT. Considered to be the "tanks of victory", almost 4,000 were produced.
The Germans did not believe in this weapon. They only produced twenty A7Vs, heavily armed tanks that suffered from numerous design flaws, including a shape that turned them into superb targets and that gave them very poor capability on uneven terrain. They did, however, know how to repair the British tanks, turning them into "booty" tanks (Beutepanzer).
The first use of tanks in combat took place on the Somme, on September 15, 1916, but there were too few to have a real impact on the outcome of the offensive. The breakthrough was not exploited. This stunt, which only succeeded in terrorising the German soldiers there, was not to the liking of Churchill, who had recommended waiting until his toys could have been deployed on a larger scale. Their use during the Battle of Cambrai would produce more convincing results.
The tanks suffered from early design flaws, but gradually improved. Mass-produced, like the Renault FT, with its revolutionary mobile turret, and which foreshadowed what modern tanks were to become, they provided significant support when movements resumed in 1918 (Renault FT).
The rise of the motor car enabled greater strategic mobility, making it easier than in previous wars for defenders to reposition their troops. The Taxis of the Marne and above all the "Voie Sacrée" during the Battle of Verdun stand as the strongest symbols of this. What's more, the capacity to transport ammunition and equipment in 1918 was nowhere near what it had been in 1914.
Aviation, which was still in its infancy when hostilities broke out, also experienced incredible growth during the war. It became integrated into the armies, where it played a vital role, firstly in reconnaissance of enemy positions (Recon), and then in various other tasks. Far from the mud and tumult caused by the ground personnel, these new knights waved to each other as they crossed each other in the sky. Soon, however, rifles were installed in cockpits and the bonds of brotherhood began to break. Progress was rapidly made, particularly in the synchronisation of mounted machine guns, making it easier to fire against enemy aircraft. Pilots went from being "simple" observers to fighters, and control of the skies became an important factor in the conduct of operations. Initiative had to be regained or retained: this meant bringing new aircraft into service, such as the Nieuport 11, designed to counter the Fokker E.III, or the Spad S.XIII, one of the only aircraft capable of competing with a Fokker D.VII. At the same time, the Germans set up Jagdstaffeln (Jasta), i.e. fighter squadrons, which became the basic unit of German aviation (Jagdstaffeln). By combining four Jasta into a single squadron, the Jagdgeschwader 1, nicknamed "The Flying Circus" (Der Fliegende Zirkus), under the command of Manfred von Richthofen, the Germans were able to regain the domination of the skies they had lost during the Battle of the Somme and made the British live a "bloody April" in 1917. In May 1918, the "Division aérienne" was created (Division aérienne). Entrusted to Colonel Duval, it comprised four fighter groups and one bomber group. Foch's strategy of launching relentless offensives at several points along the front sounded the death knell for the German air force, which was increasingly outnumbered as a result of the country's serious economic situation, particularly in the industrial sector.
At the same time, it seemed worthwhile to attack enemy production centres directly, or the cities themselves, in an attempt to undermine public morale. Paris and London, to name but two, were targeted. German attacks were first carried out using Zeppelins, which were highly vulnerable to air attack and ground fire, and then with Gotha bombers. Towards the end of the war, the Germans resorted to night attacks, mainly to evade British fighter aircraft and the ground defences put in place (Anti-aircraft guns and barrage balloons), which were becoming increasingly effective (Air Raid).
Finally, it should be noted that very long-range artillery could also be used, as was the case against Dunkirk and Paris. The latter, attacked by the Pariser Kanonen (41), located 120 kilometres away from the capital, suffered relatively little in the end from the effects of fire from what the French mistakenly called Big Bertha.
The Triumph of Artillery
The First World War marked the advent of modern artillery. At the start of the war, the difference in heavy artillery was glaring. Although the French were equipped with the "75", reputed to be the best field gun of the time, it had only a limited role in trench warfare, where curved fire was most effective. The Germans, on the other hand, had a large number of heavy guns, 210, 280 and 420mm siege guns, and it was not until 1915 that the imbalance began to disappear (Heavy Artillery).
With the establishment of trenches, it was necessary to find weapons capable of hitting dug-in units. Soldiers began experimenting with ways of bombarding enemy lines using a wide variety of projectiles: pétard-raquette, crossbows, etc. Crapouillots (trench-mortars) from the French Second Empire were even reused, and mortars of all kinds were invented: the objective was to be able to hit an invisible enemy, or at least instil a feeling of insecurity in him.
To break the deadlock created by the development of the trench system, a solution seemed to have been found with artillery: extending the duration of barrages, made possible by the increase in production (Barrages). For days on end, thousands of shells ploughed into the ground, trying in vain to crush the barbed wire networks. But the real usefulness of this was relative. Apart from multiplying the number of cases of shell-shock, these long artillery barrages served mainly to signal to the enemy that an assault was being prepared. Thanks to a system of defence in depth, the Germans, sheltered from the fire in their concrete blockhouses, were able to return to the front line without suffering any casualties, ready to welcome soldiers who had been slowed down in a no-man's-land made impassable by the craters, and eventually stopped by the barbed wire left intact.
The first line of defense was sometimes conquered, although with heavy losses leaving no possibility of further exploitation, and the survivors were invariably eliminated during the inevitable counter-attack that followed. Thus, the few metres gained at great sacrifice were easily recaptured.
Rolling barrages (Rolling Barrages) were used successfully during the Battle of Verdun: they protected the infantry, which leapt forward a hundred metres every two minutes, hidden from the defender's view. At the end of the war, artillerymen specialised in map-shooting, as during the battle of Cambrai in 1917: effectiveness was achieved from the first shell fired, without the need for adjustment fire. The surprise effect was total. It goes without saying that the complex calculations involved and use of highly detailed maps required perfectly trained personnel. These were the first steps into the era of scientific warfare, highlighted by the spread of chemical warfare, another symbol of the First World War.
Although grenades filled with tear gas appeared on the battlefield as early as 1914, the first mass use of combat gas was in 1915 (Gas Attacks). The technique used was drifting clouds: in April 1915, near Ypres (8), the Germans laid out 5,730 cylinders containing 150 tons of chlorine in front of their front lines, which they opened at 5 pm. The effect was spectacular: a seven-kilometre breach was created when the two French divisions holding positions there fled.
A race then began to develop increasingly effective molecules on the one hand and to find a countermeasure on the other. Chlorine was quickly replaced by phosgene, which in turn was replaced by mustard gas, a powerful vesicant.
A means of dissemination still had to be found. Livens Projectors were designed to deliver death directly into the German lines. Extremely simple in design (tubes driven into the ground to receive shells filled with their lethal product), Livens Projectors were dramatically effective because the lethal product was dispersed less widely. This task was then entrusted to the artillery, with different types of gas being combined to optimise the effects.
Gas is an invisible and terrifying enemy. The agony it causes is dreaded by combatants. Yet chemical warfare might have accounted for only 1% of all deaths.
New Tactics
Although the numbers making up the German battalions were reduced throughout the war, this phenomenon was counterbalanced by ever greater firepower, thanks to a greater supply of machine guns and the introduction of light machine guns and trench mortars (Firepower). It is also worth highlighting the gradual creation of highly-trained elite detachments meant to support attacks, the best-known model being the Sturmtruppen (Stosstruppen).
By the end of the war, the Stosstruppen had become widespread in the German army and were the spearhead of all attacks. Thanks to their infiltration tactics, their mission was to advance as far as possible into the enemy's defensive system, while the task of reducing points of resistance and occupying the ground fell to the "regular" units. The organisation of troops also changed on the Entente side. The units were smaller, giving them greater flexibility (New Tactics). From the end of 1916, French companies became more specialised. They were made up of four sections, themselves divided into two half-sections, each with two squads. These squads were fairly homogeneous, comprising riflemen, grenadiers, the Viven-Bessières rifle grenades and Chauchat light machine guns. From February of 1917 this French model was also adopted by the British who chose to specialise it further. The British divided their platoons into 4 sections, each with its own role. The grenadiers and riflemen were in the front line, closely followed by the rifle grenadiers and light machine guns. A company was made up of four platoons, the fourth being left in reserve. Trench cleaners, equipped with grenades and light machine guns, followed the troops to eliminate the last resistance in the trenches before being occupied by the next wave.
Germany's defeat was also largely due to its difficulty in obtaining supplies. In 1914, the British fleet set up a blockade preventing its adversary from obtaining the foodstuffs and raw materials needed for its industry (Naval Blockade). In 1916, the Battle of Jutland (14) did not live up to expectations, and the Hochseeflotte was condemned to remain largely out of reach of the Royal Navy until the end of the war. But the Germans had another weapon: submarines (Unterseeboot Production). Their target would be enemy ships and then, shortly, merchant ships. But the Entente's use of Q-Ships (decoy ships designed to trap U-Boats) (Q-Ships) encouraged the Germans to torpedo all intruders, whatever their nature. In 1915, after the episode involving the transatlantic liner Lusitania (10), Germany was forced to limit its attacks (16), until 1917. At the beginning of that year, no longer in any doubt that American neutrality would soon come to an end (Lafayette, We Are Here!), Germany decided to declare all-out submarine war (23). The tonnage sunk increased in alarming proportions. But the systematic establishment of convoys (Convoys), the use of the first sonars and air patrols (Air Patrols) limited the usefulness of the submarines, which had at least forced the Allies to mobilise huge resources to counter them. The United States, for its part, entered the war on April 6, 1917, the interception of the telegram (24) sent by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the German Empire to the German ambassador in Mexico having provoked strong hostility.
All these innovations, both technical and tactical, contributed to the resumption of the war of movement and ultimately led to the end of the war (42). But first, the armies would have to go through the final offensives of 1918. The failure of Operation Michael (35), the third battle of the Aisne (37) and then the second battle of the Marne (36) led to a decisive victory for the allied armies, which Foch had been leading since April (38). In any case, the starving German people no longer had the strength or the will to fight.
The First World War lasted longer than had been promised or imagined. The search for the breakthrough that would save the day, at least in Europe, occupied the minds of the general staff, who had to change their approach to war. "Mankind", armed only with its courage, gave way to the blind destructive power of the machine.
After the war, the French, bruised and shocked by this long and painful experience, used the expression 'Der des Ders' (the very last one). Unfortunately, it was not to be the last. Despite the League of Nations, which was supposed to guarantee peace in Europe, the world would flare up again some twenty years later, and take on even more gigantic proportions.
In France, the «bleuet de France» (cornflower) is the symbol of memory for, and solidarity with, veterans, victims of war, widows, and orphans, similar to the Commonwealth remembrance poppy.
The cornflower – like the poppy – continued to grow in land devastated by the thousands of shells which were launched daily by the entrenched armies of the Western Front. These flowers were often the only visible evidence of life, and the only sign of color in the mud of the trenches.
At the same time, the term «bleuets» was used also to refer to the class of conscripted soldiers born in 1897 who arrived in the lead-up to the Second Battle of the Aisne, because of the Horizon blue worn by French soldiers after 1915. The uniform worn by these recruits, many of whom were not even twenty years old, was distinctive because it marked a break from the red trousers worn by older French soldiers, which were part of the standard uniform before the First World War.
As the war dragged on and the novelty of the term faded, the title endured because the uniforms that fresh arrivals wore into the trenches were still new and brightly colored, in contrast with the mud-stained uniforms of veteran troops.
Source: Wikipedia