Simulation and Wargaming

Prologue to Wargaming and Simulation – An Introduction to the Viewpoints and Challenges

Andreas Tolk and Bill Lademan

Introduction

Since the introduction of the “Kriegsspiel” (wargame) to the Prussian General Staff by Baron von Reisswitz in 1811, which was improved by his son in 1824 by introducing paper maps, unit markers, and well‐documented rule books, wargaming has had a place in military education and planning. From this beginning, General von Muffling, the Prussian Chief of Staff, ordered the use of wargames throughout the Prussian Army, and many allied and visiting armies copied these ideas. Wargames help to think through options, investigate new ideas for operations, and prepare military decision‐makers by confronting them with surprises requiring a quick response. Following disruptive events requiring a reorientation, like the end of the Cold War in the nineties, or the emerging of new nuclear armed rogue nations in our day, wargames help to set the stage by providing dynamic context including the necessary complexity of the challenge for decision‐making.

Wargames are no longer limited to military planning. Domain‐specific tabletop games are conducted today in various other domains, from preparing local administration and government for conducting large events, like the Olympics or a sports world championship, or for responding to natural or man‐made disasters, like earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, or terror attacks. Even in business, wargames are conducted to evaluate ...