Original 1958

Original 1958 Diplomacy

These Original 1958 Diplomacy version rules have been assembled using the existing sources and where potential issues have been noticed these have been addressed by additional interpretation and clarification. Where an area is not specifically addressed then the 5th Edition (2008) Rules of Diplomacy apply.

1. The object of the game is for a Great Power to gain 18 of its units on the map. Note this is not the same as the 5th Edition victory conditions which is define in terms of supply centres.

2. Austria-Hungary (Austria), France, Germany and Italy each begins the game with 2 armies in its home capital and 1 fleet in its home navy base. The United Kingdom (England) starts with 2 Fleets and 1 Army - all in London. The Ottoman Empire (Turkey) starts with 2 Fleets and 1 Army – all in Constantinople. Russia starts with 2 armies and 1 fleet in Saint Petersburg (the Russian navy base is on the south coast) and 1 fleet in Sevastopol. Austria-Hungary’s capital is Vienna; its naval base is Trieste. France’s capital is Paris; its naval base is Brest. Germany’s capital is Berlin; its naval base is Kiel. Italy’s capital is Rome; its naval base is Naples; The Ottoman Empire’s capital and naval base is Constantinople. Russia capital is St. Petersburg which is also one of its naval bases; its other naval base is Sevastapol. The United Kingdom’s capital and naval base is London.

3. A Great Power may have any number of armies in its home capital and any number of fleets in a home navy base. However, combined they have only a combined strength of one unit when defending the capital or navy base. No more than one unit may exist in any other province or sea space EXCEPT temporarily in a coastal province to enable army boarding (see rule 6 below). Multiple units in one capital and/or naval base may not support one another, nor may more than one of them support the same unit outside that capital and/or naval base.

4. An army may not move to enter its own capital if that space is occupied by one of its own fleets and a fleet may not move to enter its own naval base if that space is occupied by one of its own armies. However, this does not prevent the building of new units in these capitals and/or naval bases. A Russian fleet may enter St. Petersburg (north coast) if the south coast naval base is occupied by one or more Russian fleets or vice versa. A fleet may be built in St. Petersburg (south coast) if the north coast in occupied by a Russian fleet.

5. Armies are always built in the home capital. Fleets are always built in a home naval base (in which case Russia must specify which for a particular build). If a Great Power loses all its naval bases it may not build any fleets until a home naval base is recaptured. If a Great Power loses its capital, it designates another home supply centre as its capital, though if re-captured the original capital will automatically become the capital again. There can be more than one build in a capital or naval base per turn. There can be more than one disbandment in a capital or naval base per turn.

6. The convoy rule does not exist in the Original 1958 version. Its counterpart is the boarding rule, which has its own complexities not adequately covered in the original rules. Where these inadequacies have been recognised then additional explanation is given below.

• If an army and a fleet of the same nationality are planned to be in the same coastal province, the army may be ordered to board the fleet and the fleet may be ordered to move that same season.
• A fleet may enter a coastal space occupied by an army provided that the army is ordered to board the fleet that turn and the fleet is ordering to board an army.
• An army may enter a coastal province occupied by a fleet provided it is also ordered to board the fleet that turn and the fleet is ordering to board an army.
• An army and a fleet may enter a vacant coastal province if both are also ordered to board that turn.
• A non-moving army ordered to board that turn cannot support, but can be supported.
• A non-moving fleet ordered to board that turn cannot support, but can be supported.
• A moving army ordered to board that turn may be supported.
• A moving fleet ordered to board that turn may be supported.
• While an army is on board a fleet, it can neither support nor engage in combat.
• A fleet with an army on board may enter a coastal space and engage in combat, but the army must be disembarked if successful. It may disembark the army into that coastal space provided that the fleet leaves the coastal space in question in that move to the sea space or coastal province that it came from. If the fleet fails to leave the space then the army remains on board.
• A fleet in a sea space my support another unit.
• A fleet carrying an army may receive support and any support offered to the army being carried is treated as support for the combined army and fleet.
• A fleet may move from a coastal province to a sea space keeping a boarded army on board.
• A fleet may move from a sea space to another sea space with an army on board.
• A fleet may hold in a sea space with an army on board.
• If a fleet is destroyed due to dislodgement then any army that it has on board is also destroyed.
• If a fleet in coastal province is disbanded due to adjustment then any army that is has on board is disembarked and not destroyed.
• If a fleet at sea is disbanded due to adjustment then any army that is has on board is also disbanded.
• An army on board a fleet may be disbanded as part of an adjustment, in which case the fleet is unaffected.

7. The movement of a fleet to a coastal province that contains an army for the purposes of boarding that army and the actual boarding process takes place as one move. The movement of an army to a coastal province that contains a fleet for the purposes of boarding that fleet takes place as one move.

The notation used for boarding (embarking) is:

       F ppp1 - ppp2 B nnn1 (if a moving fleet)     or
       F ppp1 B             (if a non-moving fleet) or
       A ppp3 – ppp4 B nnn2 (if a non-moving army)  or
       A ppp3 B             (if a non-moving army)

Where:

       F    = fleet (optional); 
       A    = army  (optional); 
       ppp1 = the coastal province or sea space in which the fleet started the move or is holding;
       ppp2 = the neighbouring coastal province in which the army to be boarded is located;
       ppp3 = the province in which the army to be boarded started the move or is holding;
       ppp4 = the neighbouring coastal province in which the army is to be boarded;
       B    = board (embark)
       nnn1 = the nationality of the army to be boarded (the same nationality of the fleet is assumed if this is missing).
       nnn2 = the nationality of the fleet to be boarded (the same nationality of the army is assumed if this is missing).

The B notation is required by both units.If missing from either order then a stand-off is assumed. This is particularly important when it comes to international boarding. A fleet cannot be ‘hijacked’ into boarding an army, simply because the army ordered the boarding. Similarly, an army cannot be ‘Shanghai-ed’ simply because the fleet ordered the boarding.

The notation used for boarding (disembarking) is:

       F ppp1 - ppp2

Where:

       F    = fleet (optional);
       ppp1 = the sea space or coastal province in which the fleet started the move;
       ppp2 = a neighbouring coastal province in which the army to be disembarked.

The disembarking in automatic once the fleet moves to a coastal province. A fleet may not disembark and army and embark a different army in the same turn.

8. Fleets may swap provinces provided different coasts are used (eg. F Spa(nc) - Por; F Por – Spa(sc)).

9. Kiel has its canal which operates as per the 5th Edition Rules.

10. Albania and Switzerland are now, initially neutral, supply centres and act as such in all respects.

11. There are several new provinces and sea spaces. Some provinces and sea spaces with ostensible similar 5th Edition counterparts have different names and abbreviations (and possibly different neighbours).

12. The 5th Edition Denmark is split into two separate areas – Denmark (a coastal province) and Kattegat (a sea space).

13. Constantinople is substantially different from the 5th Edition province of the same name. A new sea space – the Sea of Marmara – connects the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea. There is no direct land connection between Constantinople and Ankara.

14. Finland now has a north and south coast.

15. Particular note should made that the abbreviation ‘bot’ now refers to the Bay of Tunis and not the Gulf of Bothnia. The latter is now named the North Baltic Sea (NBS). The former Baltic Sea is now named the South Baltic Sea (SBS).

16. Tunis is no longer a supply centre.

17. Only named provinces and sea spaces are playable.

18. The first game year is 1914.

19. The following 35 provinces are supply centres. Also show is their initial ownership and type if not merely a supply centre.

        Albania............................neutral
        Ankara.............................Ottoman Turkey
        Belgium............................neutral
        Berlin.............................Germany - Capital
        Brest..............................France – Naval Base
        Budapest...........................neutral
        Bulgaria...........................neutral
        Cologne............................Germany
        Constantinople.....................Ottoman Turkey – Capital and Naval Base
        Denmark............................neutral
        Edinburgh..........................United Kingdom
        Erzerum............................Ottoman Turkey
        Greece.............................neutral
        Holland............................neutral
        Kiel...............................Germany – Naval Base
        Liverpool..........................United Kingdom
        London.............................United Kingdom – Capital and Naval Base
        Marseilles.........................France
        Moscow.............................Russia
        Naples.............................Italy
        Norway.............................neutral
        Paris..............................France - Capital
        Portugal...........................neutral
        Rome...............................Italy - Capital
        Rumania............................neutral
        Serbia.............................neutral
        Sevastopol.........................Russia - Naval Base
        Spain..............................neutral
        St Petersburg......................Russia – Capital and Naval Base (south cost)
        Sweden.............................neutral
        Switzerland........................neutral
        Trieste............................Austria-Hungary – Naval Base
        Venice.............................Austria-Hungary
        Vienna.............................Austria-Hungary - Capital
        Warsaw.............................neutral

20. As the version’s map is required to show multiple units in capitals and naval bases, and during boarding, and when boarded at sea, then new conventions will be used to show the status of units. The map has been drawn with boxes to the left and right for each Great Powers capital and/or naval base. If more than one unit occupies one such province then a large aster isk in a hexagon coloured using the Great Powers unit colours will be shown in the province on the map and the armies and fleet icons will be shown in the named box. If an army is boarded on a fleet then the army icon will be shown overlaying the fleet icon. A fleet in St. Petersburg (north coast) is always shown on the map and not in the St. Petersburg box.

21. The following provinces and sea spaces are playable on the map and have the abbreviations shown.

                   Full name order:                                    Abbreviation order

                   Adriatic Sea.................adr                    adr.................Adriatic Sea
                   Aegean Sea...................aeg                    aeg...................Aegean Sea
                   Albania......................alb                    alb......................Albania
                   Algeria......................alg                    alg......................Algeria
                   Anatolia.....................ana                    ana.....................Anatolia
                   Ankara.......................ank                    ank.......................Ankara
                   Apulia.......................apu                    apu.......................Apulia
                   Arctic Ocean.................arc                    arc.................Arctic Ocean

                   Bavaria......................bav                    bav......................Bavaria
                   Bay of Biscay................bob                    bel......................Belgium
                   Bay of Tunis.................bot                    ber.......................Berlin
                   Belgium......................bel                    bla....................Black Sea
                   Berlin.......................ber                    bob................Bay of Biscay
                   Black Sea....................bla                    boh......................Bohemia
                   Bohemia......................boh                    bot.................Bay of Tunis
                   Brest........................bre                    bre........................Brest
                   Budapest.....................bud                    bud.....................Budapest
                   Bulgaria.....................bul                    bul.....................Bulgaria
                   Burgundy.....................bur                    bur.....................Burgundy

                   Calabria.....................cal                    cal.....................Calabria
                   Cape Finistere...............fnt                    cau.....................Caucasia
                   Cape St Vincent..............csv                    cly........................Clyde
                   Caucasia.....................cau                    col......................Cologne
                   Clyde........................cly                    con...............Constantinople
                   Cologne......................col                    csv..............Cape St Vincent
                   Constantinople...............con
                                                                       den......................Denmark
                   Denmark......................den
                                                                       edi....................Edinburgh
                   Eastern Mediterranean Sea....ems                    ems....Eastern Mediterranean Sea
                   Edinburgh....................edi                    eng..............English Channel
                   English Channel..............eng                    erz......................Erzerum
                   Erzerum......................erz
                                                                       fin......................Finland
                   Finland......................fin                    fla.....................Flanders
                   Flanders.....................fla                    fnt...............Cape Finistere

                   Galicia......................gal                    gal......................Galicia
                   Gascony......................gas                    gas......................Gascony
                   Greece.......................gre                    gol.................Gulf of Lyon
                   Gulf of Lyon.................gol                    gre.......................Greece

                   Holland......................hol                    hol......................Holland

                   Ionian Sea...................ion                    ion...................Ionian Sea
                   Irish Sea....................iri                    iri....................Irish Sea

                   Kattegat.....................kat                    kat.....................Kattegat
                   Kiel.........................kie                    kie.........................Kiel

                   Liverpool....................lvp                    lon.......................London
                   Livonia......................lvn                    lor.....................Lorraine
                   London.......................lon                    lvn......................Livonia
                   Lorraine.....................lor                    lvp....................Liverpool

                   Marseilles...................mar                    mar...................Marseilles
                   Mesopotamia..................mes                    mes..................Mesopotamia
                   Montenegro...................mon                    mon...................Montenegro
                   Morocco......................mor                    mor......................Morocco
                   Moscow.......................mos                    mos.......................Moscow
                                                                       mrm...............Sea of Marmara
                   Naples.......................nap
                   North Atlantic Ocean.........nao                    nao.........North Atlantic Ocean
                   North Baltic Sea.............nbs                    nap.......................Naples
                   North Sea....................nth                    nbs.............North Baltic Sea
                   Norway.......................nwy                    nth....................North Sea
                                                                       nwy.......................Norway
                   Paris........................par
                   Piedmont.....................pie                    par........................Paris
                   Persia.......................per                    per.......................Persia
                   Point St Martin..............psm                    pie.....................Piedmont
                   Pontus.......................pon                    pon.......................Pontus
                   Portugal.....................por                    por.....................Portugal
                   Prussia......................pru                    pru......................Prussia
                                                                       psm..............Point St Martin
                   Rome.........................rom
                   Rumania......................rum                    rom.........................Rome
                                                                       rum......................Rumania
                   Sea of Marmara...............mrm
                   Serbia.......................ser                    sbs.............South Baltic Sea
                   Sevastopol...................sev                    ser.......................Serbia
                   Silesia......................sil                    sev...................Sevastopol
                   Skagerrak....................ska                    sil......................Silesia
                   Smyrna.......................smy                    ska....................Skagerrak
                   South Baltic Sea.............sbs                    smy.......................Smyrna
                   Spain........................spa                    spa........................Spain
                   St Petersburg................stp                    stp................St Petersburg
                   Swabia.......................swa                    swa.......................Swabia
                   Sweden.......................swe                    swe.......................Sweden
                   Switzerland..................swi                    swi..................Switzerland
                   Syria........................syr                    syr........................Syria

                   Transylvania.................tra                    tra.................Transylvania
                   Trieste......................tri                    tri......................Trieste
                   Tunis........................tun                    tun........................Tunis
                   Tuscany......................tus                    tus......................Tuscany
                   Tyrolia......................tyl                    tyl......................Tyrolia
                   Tyrrhenian Sea...............tys                    tys...............Tyrrhenian Sea

                   Venice.......................ven                    ven.......................Venice
                   Vienna.......................vie                    vie.......................Vienna

                   Wales........................wal                    wal........................Wales
                   Warsaw.......................war                    war.......................Warsaw
                   Western Mediterranean Sea....wms                    whs....................White Sea
                   White Russia.................wru                    wms....Western Mediterranean Sea
                   White Sea....................whs                    wru.................White Russia
                   Wessex.......................wsx                    wsx.......................Wessex

                   Yorkshire....................yor                    yor....................Yorkshire

22. The following map shows the abbreviations.

23. The following map shows the start positions.

24. This is the original 1958 map.