College Essay

This papers objective is to examine two simulations or games, "Diplomacy" and

"Nations" played in the classroom and how these simulations help to show students how to

examine the theories in international relations. Such theories like realism and liberalism can

describe some of the behavior and responses students have in their strategies in the game.

The game "diplomacy" is defined as a game of skill and cunning negotiations. The game

is played with seven groups or less, every group is a state or country in Europe prior to World

War One. The object of the game is to control eighteen supply centers, out of a total of thirty

four. Once you have taken the supply centers on the game board then it is said you have control

over Europe(Calhamer,1). Students write orders, which can move an army or fleet, to the game

master in order for their pieces to move across the border(Calhamer,1).

Students used the basic elements in realism to try and win the game. These basic elements

are a pessimistic view of human nature, a conviction that international relations are necessarily

conflictual and that international conflicts are ultimately resolved by war, a high regard for the

values of national security and state survival, and a basic skeptism that there can be progress in

international politics that is comparable to that in domestic political life(Jackson and

Sorenson,68). When examining the board before the moves the group members took in account

how many pieces they had and where best to move the armies or navy to gain more power. Power

is a type of casual relationship in which the power yielder affects the behavior attitudes, beliefs,

or prosperity of one actor to another actor(Wright, 2). My group which was the state of Russia

tried to use our army to push though mainland Europe, and tried to control as many supply

centers as early as possible, in order to use our power to influence and govern other states

decisions, and where they were to move their pieces.

Using realism our state new that world politics unfolds in an international

anarchy.(Jackson and Sorenson,68) So cooperation between other countries was going to be hard.

All states were seeking the same goal, power and security for their own country. In order for your

country move across the board foreign policy had to implemented. We made agreements with

others states for territory on the board, a kind-of give and take. Those decisions where for the

benefit of our and security of our own state, but inevitably we new that we would go to war with

that country for control. Its better to have your armies set in positions to be able to support each

other in case a country ignored the cooperation. The game has a support order which is a move to

support other units that are trying to hold or take a space on the map(Calhamer,4).

Interactions between group members that actually played were from a realist point of

view. Every person was on their own agenda on how the country could accomplish the main

objective of winning the game or the group had anarchy. Anarchy is the absence of

authority(Wright, 3). Eventually we had to make a decision that would make our state more

secure and gain more control over the board.

Between the groups that represented the states everybody was using the realism theory of

international relations. Their was one collective goal which was domination. The groups who

tried to use another theory like liberalism resulted in failure of the state to gain control of supply

centers. Liberalism is a positive view of human nature, a conviction that international relations

can be cooperative rather than conflictual, also a belief in progress(Jackson