WWI Simulation Student Journal: Great Britain

1913. Looking at the situation, it seems like I need to establish Naval Supremacy ASAP. The Mediterranean Fleet can likely take on the Austro-Hungarians without needing Italy’s help, and the North Sea Fleets can likely cripple any attacks on them by the Germans, and the Atlantic Fleet can reinforce it, that’ll be one of my first moves. Getting Italy on our side should be of the utmost importance given its power, getting the Balkans to help would be great, the US will be harder to convince but also takes a priority. I plan to call a meeting ASAP to talk strategy before we make any moves. Serbia should be abandoned unless we get most of the Balkans on our side, while France should be reinforced and reinforcing Russia will have to wait, France is far more important. Naval superiority, if established, will allow us free movement around Europe and the ability to possibly take the Ottoman Empire. I am extremely concerned about Great Britain’s Navy size after this, however, given that it appears I can’t build a new fleet and what’s left won’t be enough for a Gallipoli 2.0. I also heavily worry about North Africa falling to the Ottomans given our weak troop strength. Update: Italy seems to be more than happy to consider my offers of much of Austria-Hungary in exchange for assistance, Greece is very receptive to offers to Ally with my very generous offers of a larger than OTL Treaty of Sevres, Portugal actually approached us about guaranteeing our Alliance, though they might not join for a year or two. Belgium understands France will likely be attacked by Germany through Belgium, and wants us to help defend Belgium along with France. I said yes, but the French agreed with me afterwards that France’s territories, mainly F1, are far more important than Belgium and troops shouldn’t be thrown away defending Belgium when it greatly weakens France. The Russians were not very happy when I told them that taking the Dardanelles(O1) would have to wait several turns. I seriously hope America joins ASAP. My team has created a program to share our intelligence with each other. Our best guesses at enemy troop ratings based on battles will be recorded, and we are sharing our troop ratings to further coordinate our strategies, so we understand each other’s reasoning and can plan better using forces other than our own countries’ forces. At the request of the other leaders in my Alliance, I created a revolutionary formula designed to give us a rough idea of whether we can win battles. We believe this will greatly improve our decision making, allowing us to better decide where to attack and defend. 

1914. We need to take the Ottoman Empire to help Russia, we’re moving troops and ships to make that happen. The Germans won’t attack France, so we’re drawing their troops and we can’t send our British troops or they could take the British Isles. Things look bad, we are worried that Italy’s prior commitment to our alliance isn’t legitimate. We’re building up for an attack on O1 to save Russia, but that means everyone has to hold out until then. Our Alliance is going through growing pains, no one really knows what to do. I’ve been somewhat forced into the position of being the leader of my Alliance. Russia is being taken over, with my blessing they have pulled back to R1 to try to survive the CP onslaught. I’m extremely worried about Russia’s ability to survive, our main priority is helping them. Nothing much else happened this turn.

1915. This turn, our plan is to take the Dardanelles to relieve Russia, allowing their troop ratings to go up to a (still paltry) 3. We’re going to use our troops in southern France, convoyed by our navies in the Mediterranean, to take O1. The Italians, despite the doubts of my foreign minister and I, held up their end of the agreement and have declared war on the Central Powers. Their foreign minister has proved to be very valuable, coming up with more ideas than a lot of the rest of my alliance. We will have to move some troops to help them, but they will still be a net gain to have on our side. I’ll update this after the turn. We took the Dardanelles! The Ottomans foolishly moved most of their forces to O2 to fight the Russians, but with an admittedly costly attack, the Russians kept them from being able to help. After that, our masterstroke of a move took the Dardanelles despite being down 50% due to having to reinforce I1 with much of our expeditionary force. The always bright Serbians, still fighting despite barely beating back a massive Austrian attack, made a last second move to take over Bulgaria, which had sacrificed its army in a failed attempt to take the Dardanelles! I feel super relieved, in 1916 we will try to exploit our new gains!

1916.  This year was great. Ottoman stupidity led to us taking them out, while we cautiously maneuvered our way into advantageous positions. Russia will survive this year and likely the war. I’m particularly happy with the condition of the British Empire at the moment. Our colonies are safe, we haven’t lost millions of men, and we haven’t bankrupted ourselves trying to prop up the Alliance. We have kept a large standing force and suffered some casualties, but not to the extent that an entire generation of men is crippled and all of our money is used up. Not much happened beyond the Ottomans succumbing to us and us beating off some minor attacks. The biggest event was the German leadership agreeing to a peace treaty with us. However, somehow, despite their universal popularity, they were deposed in a coup. I was infuriated by this, so much bloodshed and destruction could have been avoided by this treaty.

1917. This year was a lot of maneuvering. The biggest events were several neutrals joining us in the war and Russia regaining R2 to put some space between the Germans and R1. My nations are maneuvering their troops. Realizing that the Germans will never attack France, our armies stationed there are beginning the journey south to the Austrian Front. We have a very solid position, with all of the Balkans under our control, Russia firmly not about to lose, France and Britain not even threatened, and Italy pretty safe. We are moving Armies to hit Austria-Hungary and hopefully win the war. The United States has finally given us armies with decent ratings so we can go on the offensive without needing thousands more troops than the Central Powers.

1918. This year was very frustrating. Using our freeze move against us, the Central Powers captured Romania and Serbia. We briefly had success by taking A2, but they recaptured it. The Italians and Serbians bungled their attempt to retake Serbia by attacking Serbia without freezing the nearby enemy troops. The Central Powers got one extra turn compared to us, however. If we’d had that turn, A2 would likely have held for good by us, and Serbia may have been regained. If I had to redo the game, I would have been way more aggressive and moved more troops to Italy sooner. I feel like our strategy with Russia was sound, they lost some land but survived. I also feel that compared to our World War One, Great Britain is in way better shape. We lost some troops, but weren’t gutted like in World War One, most of that generation is alive and we didn’t have to re-equip our Army after it got crippled multiple times like in our World War One. We won the war because Russia survived, and we eliminated a major Central Powers country and one minor one, while only losing some Russian territory and two minor countries ourselves, and being on the verge of finally overpowering them at the end.

World War II Simulation Student Journal: Japan

Japan 8 1938

With conflict rising, I sense it is only a short matter of time until the outbreak of a second world war. However, if and when it happens, as President of Japan, I can assure you we will be prepared–we have been. Leading up to this moment, we have pushed the limits of the Allied Powers in which they have proven their own gullibility. We have been working and training tirelessly to improve and grow our territory and troops. Allies, I am afraid you are too late. You should’ve stopped us Axis Powers a long time ago. Although we have proven to be a force to be reckoned with, our thirst for power and improvement doesn’t stop there. Our next move is the remains of Asia. Specifically, we have our eyes on South China, the French-Indo territory, and the Eastern-Indies. Their militaries don’t stand a chance against our high-ranked army and navy. This should make attacking and assuming control a breeze. With the possession of these territories under our belt, we will further mobilize into these regions, allowing us access to the resources we desire: Oil, iron, coal, and rubber. If we are able to get our hands on these prized resources, there’s no telling how unbeatable our industry will be! 

Japan 8 1939

It is official: The second World War has formally kicked off. While we stand against the remaining, corrupt forces in Europe, as President of Japan, I stand confident that they are no match for our strong, military forces in which we hold great numbers of troops. Not to mention, our mindful strategy. The only thing holding our powerful nation back is our lack of natural resources. However, a quick annex of the East Indies contributed as a milestone on the path to fixing this problem–all according to plan. With control over the rule of this territory, we assumed all of the resources with it. Overall increasing both coal and iron deposits by a hugely 13 units! Before, we held so much untapped potential. These resources were the key to unlocking it as we were able to industrialize and modernize, improving the damage we could do. Following the Eastern Indies, China had been in our field of view for conquest next. China occupied the heart of Asia. Had we been able to wipe out the Chinese, we would hold the power of Asia in our hands under Japanese rule. Therefore, we proceed to attack and defeat both French-Indo and North Central China. While they carried the numbers to put up a battle, the Chinese were simply unable to hold back the river in which our troops were. In addition to the conquering of land, we began moving and mobilizing troops westward. With this strategy, we will be able to corner the enemy and wipe out the Chinese, giving us all of Asia. 

Japan 8 1940

Another day of war brought another day of conquering. Our trend of expanding west seems to be bringing us great success. Our well-thought out movement of troops into our new land of North Central China benefited us immensely. With reinforcements nearby, we were able to conduct battle in South Central China. While the battle paved out to be a little too close for comfort as allied forces called for backup, we were still able to pull through victorious. With both the north and south central territories of Asia under our wing, we were more than prepared for the land along the west coasts of Asia that would come next in our plan. Specifically, the territory of North West China which lacked a ruler, making them an easy target. However, other war casualties and conflict distracted our ficus from China. Instead, the United States demanded our attention. The U.S. has been the only roadblock in our country’s goal of Asian pacfici unity for years. However, they made up for being a nuisance by supplying us with the oil we strived for. Desperate for peace, the Americans have begun posing rising tension and conflict with us by threatening to cut off our supply if we don’t do as they wish. Japan will NOT stand for this. No foreigners will control us in that aspect. Something needs to be done about the U.S. and fast before they are able to mobilize and grow out of our control…

Japan 8 1941

1941–an eventful year to say the least. The year began like any other with our victorious streak of power and war wins remaining. With plans to conquer all China, if not all of Asia, our first strategic move began with the land of Burma. A quick defeat Burmans gave Japan and the rest of the Axis Powers a leg up as we inherited their stock of oil. With an increase in oil, we were able to innovate and produce more mass amounts of machinery and weaponry to assist our military in the war. This set us on the perfect route towards the remaining unconquered land toward the western parts of Asia. However, before expanding in that direction, we figured it was time to cut the puppet strings in which the Americans were playing us by for once and for all. It was now or never before the U.S. became too strong of an opponent for us. While the bombing of Pearl Harbor in the Pacfic was a victory in our books, looking back, this was the first mistake to set not only the Japanese, but our allies on a downward spiral. Once peaceful Americans became outraged and officially joined the war later that year…unfortunately on the wrong side–the Allies. Suddenly the confidence we Axis powers once flaunted had decreased as the amount of resources and power the Americans had became a reality. While our ego was fading, the Allies were not. Russia built up the nerve to come for our Manchukuo territory. A quick defeat allowing them access to even more land. Next, they halted our troops in Koreas and took it with ease. The war has just taken a hard right turn in the wrong direction. 

Japan 8 1942

Just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, the events to come in the year of 1942 proved me wrong. The previous year had been a wake up call for our nation of Japan. While our allies began to hang their hands in sorrow and defeat, Japan was resilient and refused to give in just yet. While they may have what once belonged to us, Manchuko and Korea, they were wrong if they think they’d be able to expand any further. To halt the ally enemies, we stocked up our troops in surrounding countries to ensure the heart of Asia would remain in our hands–especially our homeland of Japan in which was guarded with extra precaution and even greater armed forces. With certainty over the security of our territories, we shifted our focus to a new region. A region beyond what we thought was possible at first. In fact, a region beyond Asia: the Urals. The Urals had seemed like an easy target as there were no other nations mobilized within it, as well as no nearby nations strong enough to stand a chance against us. Had we been able to make it the Urals, there’s no telling what we couldn’t do! The Urals were rich in both iron coal…areas where we lacked. Therefore, attaining these resources would boost both our industry and rank. From there, we’d even be able to expand as far as the Caucasus and sweep their large collection of oil as well. The most difficult part of this plan is to safely get to the Urals. From there, everything had seemed as easy as pie. Our first step in our plan was small yet strategic in avoiding tipping off our plans to the enemies. For one second, we shifted our focus from Burma into the neighboring country of India. In that small second, we had become vulnerable. Those wretched Allies stunned each and every surrounding country containing Japanese troops, and took Burma right from under our noses. Things had just got even more difficult. Before carrying out our goal of the Urals, we would now have to backtrack from Burma. Great. 

Japan 8 1943

This year was an action packed year full of redemption and emotions for us Japanese. Following a losing streak from the previous two years, it was time for us to turn the tables in this war. Saying we are annoyed by the Allied Powers would be an understatement. However, we channeled this inner anger as fuel to the fire, motivating us to do everything within our power to make a comeback–and that is exactly what we did (kind of). As president of Japan, I made the executive decision to go after the Americans yet again. They want to cut off our supplies? Fine. Two can play at that game. I ordered our naval forces to focus on the Philippines, an easy victory as we outnumbered and overpowered U.S. forces in this area. While we didn’t gain any resources from this territory, it felt awesome to stick it to the Americans. It also helped us accomplish and check another objective off our list. This important victory restored our hope and confidence we once beared, making us feel unstoppable. I’ll even admit, it may have boosted my ego. In fact, it had even influenced our next plans in getting revenge. Sparing a few troops from South Central China, we nearly captured both Tibet and reclaimed Burma! Our huge win over the Allies at Burma was especially important in increasing our oil supply. However, not everyone was happy to see us succeed as we were. Disgusted and I think jealous, the Americans just couldn’t keep our name out of their mouth. Out of embarrassment, they halted their plans in Europe. Instead, they were too busy fighting our navy in the Central Pacific, and strategizing to get ahold of Hawaii once again. Meanwhile, we had bigger problems to worry about than the U.S. A growing Russian army was beginning to get a little too close for comfort. We feared they would begin closing their way in on our Chinese territories…and even worse, our homeland of Japan. As a result, we spread our troops from the middle of Asia to the outermost parts. They would have to get through this wall before getting to the heart. 

Japan 8 1944

After the previous, action packed year of 1943, it made 1944 seem like a bore. With few, safe options on the offensive left, we chose to take the defensive route this year. Had we made any attempt to acquire new land, it would have just resulted in a suicde mission as we were no match for the thousands of high-ranked Sierians surrounding us. In addition, one single small mistake could lead to the ultimate downfall and defeat of Japan. Stacking our troops, we shifted our military around to protect our land. In particular, our mainland of Japan. A defeat here would hurt most, like a shot to the heart. Suddenly, our plans had shifted from the divide and conquer strategy. It became more than just accomplishing our objectives. Our priority now was simply staying alive. With an increase in industrialization in the Siviet Union, there’s no telling how powerful their military forces are now–and I don’t want to find out either! While it hurts me to admit, I’m not sure we would be able to hold off their troops. But we would sure put up a fight trying! And that is exactly what we plan to do to play out the rest of this war! 

Japan 8 1945

1945, a true tragedy… But not for us!!! Victory is ours!! Similar to last year, with little conquerable land left in Asia, we played it safe, choosing to take the defensive route once again. Korea had seemed attainable, yet wasting our troops there would expose our mainland of Japan. Plus, I don’t mean to brag, but we had already doubled, nearly tripled our own territory! It was simply not worth it. America, getting a little too big for their bridges, began moving in on Australia with hopes of moving their way up north towards Asia. If this was supposed to be an intimidating factor, it wasn’t a very good one. Our wall of defense had proven to be a difficult barrier to break. Meanwhile, with communication with our fellow allied Axis Powers across sea, we encouraged them to go big or go home. That is exactly what they did to help us win the war! With little time, resources, and troops left, the allies grew frantic. Our allies, Germany took advantage seizing eastern Europe territories. With nothing left to defend, the war had officially been called off. I couldn’t believe it! 1945 will be a year that will remain in history! People will be talking about it forever! It was the year of the underdogs! The year when even through all of the betrayal and doubt, Germany, Japan, and Bulgaria pulled through with a win. World War II Simulation

WWI Simulation Student Journal: United States

United States, Period 8, 1913

A war just broke out between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. It is in my best interest to lay low and not be in the middle of this breakout. If needed, my naval troops can bring support for the Allies. However, I intend not to move any of my troops to fight against countries during this war. To ensure that this happens, I need to make peace agreements with both the allies as well as the central powers in class tomorrow. Another decision that needs to be made is whether or not I should mobilize our army. By doing this, it will allow me to get more troops available for the future, but might cause tensions to arise within other countries. 

United States, Period 8, 1914

Tensions are starting to arise as countries are starting to make secret alliances with each other, with whispers about going to war. I quickly began to put my plan into action. I secretly made an alliance with both the Allies and the Central Powers, allowing peace from the United States. Even though I made plans of peace, I made the decision to mobilize my troops. I need to be prepared for anything that may happen, and the Allies will be able to use my troops in a couple of years when needed. My country’s industrialization is striving during time, which made the decision of staying out of this war very easy. The Central Powers just announced war, and are taking over land from the Allies, staying true of our alliance together. During this time, the Allies are moving their navy troops to create a more dominant sea force, as well as moving their army troops to a more secure area to insure protection for their capitals. I need to be ready to move my navy troops to help the Allies if another war breaks out in the future, however it would be best to not move any of my troops until 1917. 

United States, Period 8, 1915

As more land is being taken and conquered by other countries, the more time is running out for my country’s peace. I plan on talking more to Great Britain as well as France tomorrow during class. I want to insure our alliance, and begin a battle plan. I want to touch base with them to see how many troops of mine that they will need. I also need to make sure that I don’t move my troops until 1917, which is when they plan on going to war. The longer that I wait to use my troops in war, the better outcome for my country. The Allies were able to maintain their control of Serbia after the attack from the Central Powers, which means they are gaining more power and more troops for future attacks. This will be beneficial to me because in the end, I will side with the Allies. Furthermore, if they gain more power, so will I. 

United States, Period 8, 1916

I’m on edge as Great Britain pulls me into a secret meeting, especially after the announcement of peace with the German leaders as the Austria-Hungary president takes over Germany’s power. This was shocking at first, however this move was beneficial to me. With the German leaders gone, that is less leaders for me to negotiate with, let alone one less leader that I have to face after I break my promise of peace with the Central Powers. However, this could also be bad for the United States and the Allies in the future as well. As Austria-Hungary’s leaders gain the power of Germany, they can manipulate and control thousands of troops for their benefit. Putting this aside, in my meeting with Great Britain we agree to align together to help take Germany’s territory. Furthermore, France and I were able to come to the conclusion that in order to win this war, I need to move all of my troops into F1 of France’s capital. This will ensure that we will be able to have enough troops to move around wherever needed, to conquer Germany’s territory within the next year. 

United States, Period 8, 1917

The Central Powers are quickly moving their troops towards Russia, in hopes of taking the capital. As Russia successfully defended their country, we quickly needed to move our troops to prepare for battle. I made the decision to move all of my troops using the British navy to land in France’s capital. To prepare for future battles, I also made the decision to move my navy across to the North Sea Zone. By doing this, my chances of attacking Germany were a lot higher than if I would have left my navy in the Atlantic Ocean. However, my alliance and I are in a tough position. We can’t move our troops through Belgium due to the inability to negotiate a common agreement to pass through their country. Another option that we are considering is to move our troops through Ardennes Forest. The problem with doing this is that we are only able to move 1,000 of our troops through there at a time. If we did this, Germany’s troops would overpower our 1,000 troops, and we would be unsuccessful in conquering their land. The only other option that we have left, is to move our troops to Italy’s capital to provide support in attacking Austria-Hungary. If we are able to conquer parts of Austria-Hungary, we would easily be able to move our troops through that land to attack Germany. 

United States, Period 8, 1918

The German and Austrian troops are closing in on us. They have found a way to conquer Serbia and Romania by moving in all of their troops for battle. Although we lost land, this was beneficial for us by having them lose a great number of troops that would have been used to block my alliance from attacking Germany. We need to quickly move my troops from the capital of France, and march them down to the capital of Italy instead. If the Allies get enough troops down to Italy, we would be successful in conquering A1 of Austria-Hungary. If we are able to conquer this land, I would be one step closer to attacking Germany’s territory. 

Halt! We are under attack by the German navy in the North Sea Zone! My troops need to stay strong during this battle to keep our stance near the German capital. We have a great chance of losing this battle due to the German navy being stronger than ours. 

As I predicted, we lost all of our naval troops in the battle against Germany. Even though we lost most of our naval troops, this can be used to our advantage. If the Germans attacked our navy in the North Sea Zone, that means that Germany thinks we are using the sea to get to their territory. If they believe we are attacking their capital, they will stabilize most of their troops in G1. By doing this, they will leave G2 with very little troops for defending. 

As the end of the year is closing in, we are still under attack from the Central Powers. The Central Powers are trying to invade parts of Italy, being unsuccessful due to the great amount of imbalance in the troops. Given the number of troops that the Central Powers started this year with, I am proud of how far the Allies have gotten and how many troops we were able to take out. At the end of this war, I am proud to be apart of the Allies! 

Student Journal: Cold War Simulation, West Germany

West Germany 2 Orientation Day:

Initial Thoughts: Answer: Initially I thought this is going to be a quick war, these nuclear weapons are powerful and there is low chance for any survival. I figured the Warsaw Pact would go to Defcon 1 as soon as they could. Defcon 1 is where you can launch all your nuclear weapons that would destroy everything. And seeing who was a part of the Warsaw Pact and from previous experience with them it was easy to assume what they were going to do moving forward. 

Strategy: Answer: My strategy moving into this war is to see how the other team reacts. If they become eager to move from defcon 5 to defcon 4 and so on then we will do the same. I know that being a part of NATO everything we do, has to be agreed upon by the whole group. This will be an advantage because we will have more input rather than one person making all the decisions good or bad. So this way every plan we make will be well thought out and not rushed or because just one person wants it to be this way. 

West Germany 2 Day 1:

Thoughts: Answer: The United States, and Canada has moved into West Germany. Our plan was to try and defend the place we thought they would attack first. We decided to load West Germany’s defense to try and hold our territory. Our mission failed… they sent an atomic bomb to West Germany, knocking all our defense out and completely destroying them. This was a quick year with lots of troops moving to try and gain new ground and territory, no one has been successful yet. But we will keep our defense on guard, if they plan to invade without the use of nuclear war. 

Strategy: Answer My strategy going into the next year is to see if the Warsaw pact advances any further in their Defcons, if they do the NATO will do the same. I thought the war would have been over by now, with the Warsaw pact lead by Stalin I figured he would have become greedy and would have let the atomic bomb go. He hasn’t done this yet but we will be prepared to do the same if that is the strategy he takes. 

West Germany 2 Day 2:

Thoughts:

 Answer: The Warsaw Pact has launched a tactical nuclear strike, they destroyed me. I am dead. The Warsaw Pact is taking out NATO land one by one. They took West Germany at the beginning of this year.The Warsaw Pact hasn’t made any big aggressive moves yet, I have been waiting for the world to go out in a boom! But no response has been taken from them/ The NATO launched back but nothing was happening, no one was gaining anything. NATO began to get frustrated and moved to defcon 1, they initiated an all out nuclear war, no one was victorious. Everything was demolished and there were no survivors. 

This was a quick war with little land battle, all that was used were nuclear weapons. This was a strategic way to plan the war, but in doing so more lives were taken out. No fighting took place, it was just a bomb and wipe out. If this would have happened and Stalin did not die, the world as we know it wouldn’t have survived and we would be in a very different place then we are now.  

World War II Simulation Student Journal: Japan

Japan 8, 1938

As the foreign minister of Japan, I am very eager for the start of World War Two. While talking with my president and the other axis powers, I believe our plans are strong enough to pull off this fight. Looking at our ratings, our natural resources seem to be our big focus for Japan to be able to succeed in this war. Looking at our summary, gaining more resources will make us much more aggressive and powerful in battle. We will start off the war by attacking as many countries as we can, in order for us to achieve our objectives, as well as gain more resources. We plan on this to bring fear among the people of the countries. This will put them in a hard spot for decisions to be made.We will then plan on moving troops to help defend our axis powers. We believe that this will help give our axis the backup if they need it. While talking to my president, we have come to the conclusion that we will need to be very cautious with our decisions, in order to stay alive. We plan on staying very close to our axises in hope of achieving more, as well as gaining more. Looking at the United States, we are fearful of the amount of natural resources they hold at this time especially because they could backfire on us. Looking at the time right now, it is going to be a tough couple of years, but we believe that we hold the strength to succeed in this war. 

Japan 8, 1939

It is no secret, the start of the war brought upon a lot of tense and rush between the axis powers. While meeting at the beginning of class we have come up with good battle plans that will hopefully lead to success in this war. Talking with my president, we believe our biggest goal right now is to work on conquering China. This will help lead us to achieve our objectives which we are working towards. Japan was victorious in all of our battles today, which helped us tremendously. Our strengths from being victorious lead to Japan gaining more coal and iron which was very much needed. We are fearing tensions arising from the United States because they are threatening to cut off their supply with us. We are beginning to think that this could eventually ruin us because that is our main go to source for resources. We are trying to come up with a plan to maneuver around this, so it doesn’t destroy us. Hearing the allied powers today, it seems to be that they are coming up with some good strategies. This puts us axis power in a tough situation, because we have to always have backup plans ready in order to win over them. In fact we lost the war to the allied power, which we were not expecting. My president and myself have been brainstorming some plans and actions that will hopefully get us back up again. We plan on attacking more of China to gain our objective, and we also plan on moving troops. This will hopefully allow us to take all of China over. It is not going to be an easy ride, but I have faith that my President and I will make the best possible choices for our country. We will see you tomorrow!

Japan 8, 1940

Hello, the forign minister of Japan is speaking. Wow things are really starting to feel and get real here. Countries are beginning to get very intense, and we are all scrambling to make the best decisions for our countries. As of right now, Japan is standing at a good spot, and we are making great progress. We are gaining more natural resources which is a necessity. Our plan is to continue our journey of expanding west, and we will keep doing this until we have conquered all of China, and most importantly Asia. Today we were able to conquer South China and we were planning on going for Northwest China, but that plan didn’t succeed. With the fear of the United States still, they got in the way of this plan. We have come to the conclusion that they are becoming very powerful to us and threatening us to not give us oil anymore. Listening to my President, this can not happen to us because we need all the oil we can get. Meeting with the rest of the axis powers, we have made sure to come up with a strong plan for what to do to stop them from controlling us. We will continue our plans as the years go on, but for now we plan on keeping Japan out of conflict. As the foriegn minister of Japan, I will continue to keep working with my president and axis powers to make sure we get the best overall outcome. I have nothing but faith in all of us to make the right decisions and pull off this win. We will see what tomorrow brings for us!

Japan 1941

1941 started off with a powerful rush of stress between the allied power and axis powers. As the Foriegn minister I am trying my best to keep Japan under complete control with the help from my President. Today our main focus was to complete some of our objectives, so we tried to attack as much as we could. One of our significant attacks was with the United States. Our strategy that came with this battle was to only send 100 troops. This allowed for us to meet our objective without risking a great amount of our troops. With this great strategy, we were able to come out with a victorious axis power. Talking with Germany, they gave us the idea of attacking Burma. My president and I put this into action and we attacked Burma. Our plan of this is that it will help keep the allies from attaining it because it is an important source of oil, which Japan needs. I can feel the tension rising between the two powers, and it is really beginning to feel like war is really here. We are fearing that the United States may want revenge since we bombed them in the beginning of this year. My president and I took a wrong turn on a decision which led to Russia taking Korea from us. This is not good for Japan as Korea leaves them a gateway to get in Japan, which means they can start coming after us and taking it away. We decided to move our troops into Manchucko to battle the USSR, but this became very unfortunate to Japan as we lost the battle, as well as Manchucko. Our plans are to continue to move our troops from Bruma into India as this will help us move Westward to the Urals, as well as move down to work towards gaining more resources. Things are looking not too good for the axis power, but I have hope that we will work together and figure out some plans to get us back up on our feet. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next year. 

Japan 8 1942

Well as the foreign minister, I believe that things are really starting to get real. Countries are starting to get more competitive with each other, more tension is rising, and I can just feel emotion in the room. I know that my president and I are starting to feel stressed and rushed on what we should be doing for Japan to succeed. With the suggestions from other countries, I believe we are on the right track, and hopefully it will stay this way. However, we are fearing the plans that the allied powers have in store, because it seems to be that they are coming up with good strengths. We can not let this get to our heads, and we need to just focus. Our plans to move our troops from Bruma to India was a success, as we were victorious. We will continue to keep moving our troops down where we can find the resources. We got some very bad news, as we saw the allies quickly taking over the opportunity of no timer. They were able to complete battles and movements that significantly hurt Japan. The significant event that occurred today was that  The allies stunned India, SE China, and our navy to prevent us from reinforcing in Burma. They are gonna get the advantage of this because they are going to take control of it, and also gain our resources we were holding. Talking with my President, this puts us in a bad position of what we should do next, as we needed to make sure that never happened. We are dreading what may happen to us next, as well as the other axis countries. We are quickly realizing that they are using stunting as their strategy, which means we quickly need to come up with a new gameplan. This puts all of us in danger, and I can feel the rush and stress creeping upon us. I have high hopes that we will be able to come out of this situation better than ever. It may be hard, but with the amount of knowledge we hold within our group I have no doubt that we will work our way around this. I am hoping for a better day tomorrow, and I will soon let you know what goes on. 

Japan 8 1943

The allied powers are really starting to get on our nerves, and it is quickly raising our nerves. Us axis powers have come to the conclusion that we are starting to struggle, and we are having a hard time getting away from that. My president and I are trying to achieve our objectives, but we are starting to get ripped apart from them. The allied powers are still using powerful strategies to come after us and tension is still rising. Our main focus this year was to attack and move troops, so that we could get back to the allied powers. We decided to attack the Philippines, and we were victorious. This was an advantage to Japan because this allowed for us to gain one of our objectives. We took the opportunity and put an attack on Tibia China and we came out with the victory, as well as Burma. We experienced trouble on the way when we lost our navy, as well as Hawaii. Although it was a very close battle in Hawaii for the reason being there were only 6 troops at the end, we still weren’t able to pull it off. Overhearing the Allies, we are fearing Russia as they are starting to move troops to NW China, and trying to take us over. As of right now, all we can do is move our troops back to help defend and make it difficult to proceed with their plan. Things are starting to feel boring, as we are running out of plans and strengths to move forward. We feel as if we are struggling to get around the allies, but we are still trying to be as successful as we can. This is not the time to give up, especially when things are starting to get even more serious, and all we have to do is have the right mindset. I know that my President is trying her best to make the best possible decisions, and while talking to her, I know that it is not easy. Our plans for the future are to focus on the movement of our troops. This is really our only option right now, as we are coming down towards the end of the war. We will try to move them back to Japan to help defend, because we don’t want to get wiped out. Our overall goal right now is to try and achieve our objectives, and even if we don’t get them all, as the foreign minister I know that we tried our best. As the forign minister, I am pretty bummed by what is happening to the axis powers. I am very interested to see what will happen in these next final two years. I am not giving up yet, and I know that no one else is. We will continue to fight through this war the best that we can. I will let you all know what tomorrow brings. 

Japan 8, 1944

The foreign minister speaking, well it’s 1944, which means we have one final year left until World War II is over. This has been a long, hard fought battle and to say the least, I am ready for it to be over. I am ready for all the stress, worries, battlecries, and horror to come to an end. Speaking with my President at the beginning of class, every move we seem to make, the allied power somehow destroys it. As this has been a boring year, we thought this would be the best time to focus on defending rather than attacking. We decided that if we would try to conquer land this year, we would not be able to compete with the powerful Sierians  around us. We have been taking good advice from other presidents and foreign ministers in the axis powers, but the allied powers must have something up their sleeve. Our plans for this year were to focus on moving our troops back towards our mainland. To do this, we moved our military around to be able to protect it. If we ended up losing Japan, it would hurt us terribly, and leave a hole in our heart. My president and I are now worried about Japan staying alive and in the war, as this would be heart wrenching if we got wiped out. We are startled with the increase in industrialization with the Soviet Union, because this will raise their military forces and make them more powerful. We aren’t looking forward to this happening, but we are unsure if we will be able to hold off their troops. As shameful as this sounds, we feel there’s no other way around this conflict. We will continue the hard fight for the final day in battle, and I am anxious to see what the result will be. 

Japan 8, 1945

Wow, one last journal of World War II. This doesn’t quite seem real to me yet, that the time has come to an end. We found that as time does come to an end, we are finding that there is little left for Japan to do. My President and I made the decision that we will just wait to be attacked, and then play defense. With everything that has already happened, we believed that this was our best decision right now. We had planned to try and take Korea, but we fear that they would send troops from Manuchuko, resulting in Japan being opened and exposed. Although everything is coming to an end, we are all still fighting and I still can feel the emotion in the air. This has been one of the toughest wars to go through, being in it in real life, I could never imagine. We also came to the realization that we no longer could take Eastern USSR because we would have to use all of our troops, which meant that it would leave Japan open for others to grab. At this point, we are trying to limit our decisions based on factors of our own country. This late in war, we don’t want Japan to be taken away from us, especially if we have gotten this far. It was very calm in Asia, meanwhile our allies in Europe were working hard to take more land. I am very impressed with the axis powers and my president. This has been such a hard fought battle, and even when things got extra hard, no one gave up which shows a lot. It has been very interesting to see each person use different strategies to move forward, and somehow we still manage to get this far. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without my president, or the rest of the axis powers. We have been noticing that the allied powers are getting very cocky, which helps nothing. This makes us just want to get more defensive and powerful against them. Ever since 1939, they have believed that they have enough strength and good plays to win this war. Although we didn’t finish some of our objectives, I know that we most certainly tried our best to succeed in them all. However, I have learned that when in war, you can’t always achieve what you were planning on. Everything always changes, constantly and sometimes you can’t control that. It has been my pleasure to be the foreign minister of Japan, and i’ve learned so much on the way. The axis powers have been hoping for a win this whole time, while the allied powers have been as well. I am pleased to say that the axis powers have come back and redeemed themselves from some of the mistakes we have made on the way. Japan was alive this whole time, and for my president and I, that is a huge accomplishment. I am still in shock that the axis powers won the war of World War II. This foreign minister is signing off.  World War II Simulation

WWI Simulation Student Journal: Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire 8 1913

The end is nigh for the people of the Ottoman Empire. The rising tension is so thick, you could cut it with a saber. I can see clearly war is on the horizon, and with a heavy heart I know I must do everything in my power to make sure my people are safe. Only time will tell. With this written down, I can finally reflect on the possible good that might have been given to us. As of this moment a successful defensive treaty has been made with Bulgaria, with hopefully more to come from Greece and Romania. It does worry me that Romania is slow on their responses, possibly because they’re trying to make a pact with Russia. I wish them the best of luck, for those peasants hold nothing but empty promises for any who try and help them. Even so, reports have reached my ears that they are trying to eradicate our Austro-Hungarian allies, along with the possibility of an attack on the strait. They are children playing a warriors game. They cannot hope to take that they deem important if they cannot see what is behind it. No matter what events may occur, the people of the Ottoman Empire will stand steadfast for we have no other choice.

Ottoman Empire 8 1914

The year has come and gone in the blink of an eye. While the Ottoman Empire has not personally made any offensive maneuvers against either the Russian peasants or our resilient neighbors of Greece or Romania, there has been success non the less. Our allies, the German Empire, have made astounding progress in the east against Russia while at the same time holding stalwarts against the French in the west. The information that worries me is that not only is Russia in full retreat, they are diverting more forces to the caucasus, mostly likely in preparation of a full bore assault to take the Dardanelles. If need be, it might be necessary to move Austro-Hungarian forces to reinforce the border. All I know is that the empire cannot fall if we hope fulfil our goals.

Ottoman Empire 8 1915

The year of 1915 shall be known as the year of complete failure for the Ottoman Empire and our allies. The year itself looked promising as the Germans pushed farther into Russia, arriving upon their capital before midyear. Along with this, the Bulgarians also joined on my behalf and would have served as worthy partners if it weren’t for their decimation at the hands of the Entente. They were willing to die for a people that weren’t even their own and it cost them dearly. The great capital of the empire was also lost in a storm of blood and steel to those devil French and British. We committed too many divisions to protect the Russian border, thus leaving our homeland open to invasion. For now our forces will have to hide in the far waste of the desert with our Austro-Hungarian allies. Reports have also reached my ears of the Italian dogs siding with the invaders. They were also soft bellied, waiting for the precise opportunity to join once they knew who the victor was. Along with this, there are also whispers of a failed assault by German and Austro-Hungarian legions on the region of Serbia. It is simply unfathomable that such a small nation and people could withstand the might of the Germany army. I think that it might be time to consider an armistice with the United Kingdom. Better to survive with our lives than taking our dignity to our graves. 

Ottoman Empire 8 1916

Let it be known in the history books that fortune favors the bold. After the failed coup by the German leadership, I concluded that there is no honor in surrendering ourselves to pretentious outsiders like the British or French. I tasked my remaining generals with their last order: an all out assault to recapture our homeland. It hurts my heart to say that it was a failed plan knowing so many great men died fighting for what they believed in. I now write these entries from my estate behind allied lines in Germany, and will also be serving as a military advisor to the Kaiser and Emperor of Austria-Hungary. Recent days have brought a slew of reports to my desk stating that not only have the traitorous nations of Greece and Romania joined our enemies, but also the western outsiders, these “dough boys’ ‘ from the United States of America. They are putting too much stock in their effectiveness against true armies like the Germans and Austro-Hungarian legions. After much debate, the Kaiser has assumed supreme authority of both armies and is now employing defense in depth tactics to slow their assaults. The Russians themselves have been dealt serious blows by the German raids and their usage of chemical weapons. The western front, however, is a different story. Multiple accounts are flooding in, stating that the enemy has amassed hundreds of thousands of troops on the Belgium border. I dare them to violate Belgium’s neutrality, only to see them earn themselves another enemy to fight

Ottoman Empire 8 1917

Time is a slow and steady march that cannot be interrupted. The year itself has felt like an eternity of planning, complemented with small skirmishes. The western front remains unchanged except for a few hundred extra American troops in France and their ships in the North Sea. The east has also grown quite in anticipation of what is to come. The Russian army has been stalled in their advance for weeks due to the German gas raids and ambushes. What worries me is that there are sightings and reports of mass troop movements from Romania, Greece, Serbia, and Italy. It seems as if the demon’s plan to encircle us before the killing blows from all sides. I may not have been born, raised, and lived in central europe, but I dare those fools to try in storm the great mountains of the Austro-Hungarian empire, I dare those fools to even try and sack the German Empire, I DARE THEM to even make a move against a hardened army the likes the world has ever seen.

Ottoman Empire 8 1918

The year of 1918 is one for the history books. Though I write this when peace has been made between the nations of Europe, I cannot help but to reflect on what has occured. The year started with literal bang by the Kriegsmarnie when they tried to surprise the allied fleet in the Atlantic Ocean. God bless the souls who died upon the high seas fighting for the nation. Surprisingly the year escalated in terms of excitement with a full assault by the Italian and French armies. Oh how they fell to the storm of German lead and steel upon the high mountains of southern europe. From that point forward, there was none to stop the German conquering of Serbia and Romania. Serves those traitorous fiends for refusing to join in the glory of the Ottoman Empire. Oh how it would have been wonderful for the empire to be retaken by our allies, but alas an armistice was signed between the Kaiser, Emperor of Austria-Hungary and the Entente. We were that close with reuniting our people under the sign of strength in our empire. I know not what the future holds for those of us still alive, but there is talk of a rising politician in the homeland. I believe his name was Ataturk. If a man wishes to try and reform an age old system, tha I wish all the luck in the world.

Student Journal: Cold War, United States

United States 2 Orientation Day: 

Initial Thoughts: A full on nuclear war would mean the death and destruction of both sides of the war. There would be no winner and everyone would be dead, it would be a catastrophe. I want to avoid escalation as much as possible. I will only escalate if they make an aggressive move against NATO. I fear that this war could end in disaster. My objectives are to not let them gain any territory. I will defend West Germany because I feel they will attack them first. 

Strategy: I am going to stay at defcon 5 and avoid any battles unless provoked by the enemy. I am going to defend any territory that does not already belong to them. I will avoid escalating this war and only react to what they are doing. I don’t want to fall behind while they escalate and attack us. However, I don’t want to be the one increasing the intensity of our defcon levels. This could lead to a nuclear strike from both sides. I am going to work with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to ensure that the Warsaw Pact doesn’t gain any more power or territory. 

United States 2 Day 1:

Thoughts: The USSR is moving tanks towards West Germany. I fear that an attack on West Germany is imminent. This is what I predicted because that is where the dividing line is between the Warsaw Pact and NATO. I need to prevent them from gaining territory that they don’t possess. The goal of NATO is to prevent the spread of communism, this means not letting them gain territory. We need to take action to prevent their attack on West Germany. 

Strategy: I am sending tanks into West Germany to help defend against the Warsaw Pact. Canada is joining me in placing artillery in that area, I believe this will help deter the enemy from attacking. My hope is that we do not have to take further action against the USSR. However, we will do so if that is necessary for the greater good. If escalation does take place, that could lead to a nuclear war that will change the whole world. We will remain peaceful to prevent the escalation of war. 

United States 2 Day 2:

Thoughts: The Warsaw Pact used their tactical nuclear weapons to take out all of our armour in West Germany. They have also sent forces into West Germany to take control of that territory. Both sides are increasing the intensities of their defcon levels very quickly. This war is escalating at a very terrifying pace. I am trying to slow down the aggressive movements of the Warsaw Pact by trying to stay defensive. They are escalating very quickly and this is forcing us to escalate… We have imputed our nuclear launch codes in order to launch our nuclear warheads at the enemy. The opposing forces will send their nuclear weapons at us within a matter of minutes. It is a truly sad day for the world. It will take years for humanity to recover from this day… Strategy: We are using our tactical nuclear weapons against their tanks in the countries that can be reached from Italy. We are only doing this in response to their attacks on our tanks in West Germany. We are going to continue to increase our defcon so that we’re prepared for war. The Warsaw Pact is gaining control of most of the European countries, our ground forces are no match for theirs. They continue to use their tactical nuclear weapons against us and we are suffering numerous casualties. There is only one thing we can do in order to stop the spread of communism throughout the entire globe. We are going to activate our nuclear missiles and launch them at the enemy. A full on nuclear strike is going to happen, humanity will suffer massive casualties…

World War 2 Simulation Student Journal: Bulgaria, Rumania, Hungary and Italy

Small Class: Students had to do multiple parts

Bulgaria, Hungary, Rumania, and Italy 3, 1938

This is the start of it all. I think that Great Britain and France are going to try and start a war with Germany. My first thoughts are that Japan will remain neutral. Being part of the axis I do know that we will attempt to somehow get them to ally with the axis. Even though Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania all lie very close within the axis powers but will most likely remain neutral for as long as possible just to see if siding with one alliance will actually be beneficial. I will do my best to help my allies with resources and try to take new land for better resources and gain a surplus of resources to help my axis friends. Also being neutral countries as well  I will really try to be patient with allying with a side because I need to see how everything plays out.

Bulgaria, Hungary, Rumania, and Italy 3, 1939

A year went by and not a lot has been accomplished by the Axis like I was hoping. It helps me because it would help me do better in the long run. Bulgaria, Hungary, and Italy couldn’t do anything during this year at all so all I had was Rumania. Rumania didn’t need to do anything because we didn’t need to at first. But next year will be different. The Axis took over Japan and Norway. Next year I will ally with Germany as Rumania. I can also begin to use Italy’s military in 1940. I understand that this year was not the greatest year but trust me when I say that this is only the beginning and it’s not even close to being over. 

Bulgaria, Hungary, Rumania, and Italy 3, 1940

With lots of retaliation from the allies my current plan for Italy is to utilize my navy to the south and take Egypt and push as far east as possible to gain lots of resources. As for Hungary, and Rumania, I need to wait until 1941 or later to see if it would be beneficial to side with the axis and let them use my troops to turn the tides. However I fear that if I do not help them they will just eliminate me. I can see that at the moment if I don’t make a move soon great britain and France will conquer the counties I have. So far they have taken Libya and if I don’t act fast Hungary, Rumania, and Bulgaria will be taken out right under me. Next year will be my year. I can use troops that I haven’t gotten the chance to and get what I need. I didn’t get to taking Egypt this year like my plan was but I will next year, plus so much more like Iran, Ariba and hopefully everything around it. Next year will be my time to shine and really show everyone what I can do.

Bulgaria, Hungary, Rumania, and Italy 3, 1941

This is not what I was expecting. A lot of my Italian troops have been lost. There were a lot of battles that were happening that I had to defend and with my army rating being low I had to put a lot of troops up to defend in order to make sure I kept my land. I had a lot of dreams and wishes for this year thinking that I could do it, but it was very difficult to get anything accomplished and the Axis don’t want to help me. I felt all alone and was fighting by myself so I started thinking about having Italy and Hungary switch to the allied side but I am not for sure yet. This year was not great for any of my countries and really all I did was lose a lot of my troops. I tried to attack France to make sure that they wouldn’t come for Italy for Germany but unfortunately I didn’t win the battle and lost pretty close to all of my troops. It is going to be a struggle next year but I am trying my hardest to hold on with the little troops that I have. 

Bulgaria, Hungary, Rumania, and Italy 3, 1942

I thought last year was tough, well this one was even worse. I lost Italy. The allied powers invaded and won. I am very close to losing Bulgaria, Hungary, and Rumania. Thankfully I had just enough troops to win back Italy but this is a time where I really need to side with the allied powers if I want any chance of winning. Next year will be it, Italy and Hungary will side the allied powers and now I just have to hope that they won’t attack Rumania or Bulgaria. I need to try and keep my counties for as long as possible but if it does come down to me losing Rumania and Bulgaria I won’t go down without a fight. Those are my counties and I will be right for them until the end. On the other hand with Italy and Hungary, people may say that I am taking the easy way out, but it not only helps me it also helps France and the other countries take over and conquer Germany. The Axis will be mad at me for switching but if I am not getting any help then I will move in order to get the help I need. Next year once I ally with the Allied Powers will be so much easier for Italy and Hungary. I will get what I need done and get the helped that I want! For Rumania and Bulgaria, well lets just say who knows what will happen. We just have to wait and find out!

Bulgaria, Hungary, Rumania, and Italy 3, 1943

This year I switched and joined the allies. Everything that I needed was now finished because of me switching. One thing that I was hoping for was that they would not take over Bulgaria and Rumania, but they did right away. They took over and I could do anything about it. All of my troops were too far away to help and I didnt even have that many. So Rumania and Bulgaria were no longer mine. All I had left was Italy and Hungary. Everything looked great this year until the end when the Axis started pushing their way into our land and took all of our resources so our military rating went down. They started taking over our countries one by one. At this point I really thought that no matter what side that I am on I was just going to cause bad luck. 

Bulgaria, Hungary, Rumania, and Italy 3, 1944

This year I lost Italy and Hungary. I used everything of my own to try and stop them but nothing worked. I was a goner. Axis were just too strong for us and there was no stopping them. After they took Italy and Hungary they started going for more of the USSR. At this point we saw that there was pretty much nothing we could do. We just had to try our hardest and hope for the best. This all came out of nowhere and I did not see it coming at all. When I switched with them last year I was not planning to lose everything that was mine. Nobody ever plans that but that is exactly what happened. At this point I was way past hope. I knew what they were going to do and that was to take over everything, and because of them being so strong that is exactly what happened. We were done for..

Bulgaria, Hungary, Rumania, and Italy 3, 1945

This is it, it is the end of the war. The Axis had officially won, even though we already knew that. In the end the only thing that the Allies had left was 19 counties, the rest were all of the Axises. It was sad to see how the war ended and I really thought that once I switched sides that we were going to win. That was not what happened at all obviously. It was a hard loss but the one good thing I can say about it was that we tried our hardest. We fought as hard as we could and used everything that we had to try and win and keep what was ours. This war was a big eye opener for me because it showed me that just because things look good for you doesn’t mean that they would stay that way. World War 2 Simulation

WWI Simulation Student Journals: Romania and Japan

Romania Journal

Romania, Period 8, 1913

I fear for the events to come as countries are beginning to turn their backs on one another. Divided in two, the Allies are determined to overtake the Central Powers and vise versa. However, I side with neither. My small size army is no match for those such as Russia and the Ottoman Empire who bear great numbers of troops. With the location of my country as a barrier between Russia and it’s remaining allies, I worry they will try to either invade or negotiate for our sacred land. Although, due to the lack of numbers, it is safest for my country to avoid conflict with either side and will choose to remain neutral. The last thing we need is to be stripped of even more land after already having Bessarabia taken from our hands…this war might be the perfect distraction for us to claim what was once ours. 

Romania, Period 8, 1914

Tensions are beginning to fume all across Europe, making it difficult for me to remain neutral. Just in case, I’ve mobilized troops in the scenario anyone challenges our peace. Several negotiations with great benefits have been proposed, however I must respectfully decline for now. Germany has thrown a curveball, messing up my plans to retain land that was once mine. This calls for a new plan of action. When the time is right, Russia’s large numbers in troops combined with mine will be extremely vital. They help me to recapture land, as I provide them with new blood and territory. 

Romania, Period 8, 1915

Another year of avoiding conflict down. My ultimate goal of retracting old land is slipping further and further away from our fingertips as the Central Powers are moving too close to comfort. Their large numbers paired with their outrageous ability is intimidating as they could easily conquer Romania, leaving us with nothing. I can’t do this war alone. I predict my time of peace is coming to an end. I will need the help and protection of the Allies to remain in this war. 

Romania, Period 8, 1916

New year, and a new stance in this war. I have strategically become one with the Allies for the greater good of my country. Talk of our country back-stabbing peace with the Central Powers lingers. I fear this anger may result in war between Romania. In defense, we have called for reinforcements. Our good ally, Great Britain, has agreed to station troops within Romania, creating a fear factor. This must’ve worked as the Central Powers backed down. Romania stands tall and even more powerful than before with additional help from Great Britain, as well as  the mobilization of our army. Even though we bear numbers, we lack strength which will prevent us from establishing A3 from the all mighty German forces. Hopefully with a little convincing and planning, the rest of the allies will back me up to retain this land. 

Romania, Period 8, 1917

As the war has continued on, our outlook as a country has evolved. Suddenly, it’s about more than just Romania; it is about working together to defeat the Central powers and restore order in the world. Our initial goal of using the neighboring countries to achieve what we want, land, has become more. As we’ve gotten closer to our allies, we’ve formed a bond. Therefore we are willing to provide assistance in any way for the good of the group. In addition, we’ve distributed troops to territories as needed or requested, and have been active in the planning process. We’ve captured the coast so our next move as allies is to work our way inward. We have them surrounded. 

Romania, Period 8, 1918

Game over. Let this be a learning experience for those of the future: The only person you can truly trust is yourself. I had an uneasy feeling from the start about Russia…and I should’ve trusted my gut. “Just wait,” they said. “We’ll succeed together,” they said. Waiting is a fool’s game. I should’ve shoot my shot for R3 when I had the chance, but instead I was too loyal to my alliance. Although my military may lack in power, we had them taken in numbers. I would have rather died trying rather than die from a back-stabbing. Good luck to the remaining allies, and rest in peace to those troops that gave their lives. Romania forever. 

Japan Journal

Japan, Period 8, 1913

After defeating Russia already, I feel we have gained their respect. Therefore, while still keeping a watchful eye on them, I feel it should be safe enough to side with them for the common goal: Germany. While we may lack in numbers of military aid, I feel our naval support will be of great assistance. With joined Navy forces, the Central Powers are no match for our fleet. They’ll never see it coming. 

Japan, Period 8, 1914

The stakes are high as the Germans overthrew the Russian Navy. This makes my alliance with the allies even greater as they are now down Navy troops. However, we are able to make up for their loss. Although small in numbers, our navy will be a force to be reckoned with. Often overlooked and forgotten, it is the perfect opportunity for a sneak attack if it comes down to it…

Japan, Period 8, 1915

Victory is ours! Just as I suspected, our naval forces played a powerful role in defeating Austria-Hungary’s fleet. We couldn’t have done it alone: Combined forces with Great Britain, we annihilated the Central Powers Navy. Now, with complete control over Zone 2 of the Mediterranen Sea, it sets us up for success in the future. Germany and the remaining Central Powers can enjoy it now, but they won’t suspect us coming from the coasts. 

Japan, Period 8, 1916

Although our part this year was slow, it doesn’t mean the rest of the action of the war has slowed down too. If anything, it’s picked up dramatically. After our victorious win over the Mediterranen, the waters have been at peace with no more naval battles. With no marmy to provide help on land, our country has been busy guarding the seas. I feel our great performance during battle has scared the Central Powers away from our navy indefinitely. However, we will still keep a watchful eye from the water, and are prepared for anything. 

Japan, Period 8, 1917

The power in this war has taken a drastic turn. The once dominant Central Powers appear to be losing their drive as the Allies are beginning to occupy more land, due to their successes in battle. It appears that us Allies have the coast locked in. Our next plan of action will be to begin moving inward. Unless they call in reinforcements of the navy, I feel our role in this war is winding down as we have no army service to provide help on land. But we are still armed and ready for duty calls to help in any way to win this war. 

Japan, Period 8, 1918

At last! This drawn-out war has finally come to an end! It’s tough to say who’s coming out of this with a victory under their belt as it appears the Allies and Central Powers are neck and neck. It’s safe to call this a draw. While we were obviously hoping to come out victorious, at least it’s better than coming out with a loss. I see this new balance of power as both a good and bad situation. Good in which hopefully our nations can come together on agreements for a more peaceful world. However I fear this balance will turn into an even worse scenario as nations seek it as an opportunity to prove dominance and break the balance. Whichever way this goes, Japan is optimistic for the future and will be prepared. Meanwhile, we shall celebrate these long-waited times of peace!

Student Journal: Cold War Simulation, France

France 2 Orientation Day

Initial Thoughts: The thought of a full out nuclear war just brings goosebumps to me. If the world and countries ever got into a full out nuclear war, the whole country could and would be destroyed. Having nukes is just like militarism and having a big army. Every country is going to want nukes and they want to show that they have the better nukes. When one country does something, the opposite side of the war would also want to do something. This would be how it is with nukes. One country fires at another country and they want to show off their nukes so they fire back. This would lead to a full out nuclear war and destruction to many and almost all of other countries. 

Strategy: I needed to keep peace with everyone because France couldn’t take another war. They had just been in two wars and they couldn’t lose anymore troops or land. Thankfully they had the United States in the simulation because the United States always helps win the war. My initial strategy was to not try and get into war. I didn’t want to lose any troops and didn’t want to give up land around me because then I would end up getting hit with a tactical nuke. I also needed to keep France because if I had lost that, the Warsaw Pact would have gotten France’s nuke which would have affected NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). 

France 2 Day 1

Thoughts: You wouldn’t think on the first day of war, there would be any attacks on other countries. But I mean, you never know with Joseph Stalin on the other side. Even if Stalin would think about going to war, he was theoretically surrounded by NATO. He may have had more troops, but we both had nuclear missiles. If we were to ever feel the discomfort that we were going to lose the war, we could just launch our missiles at the enemies. Never would I have thought to say this, but I honestly hope we don’t get into war and have the idea of nuclear missiles on our mind. Stalin doesn’t know what a full out nuclear war would do, and that is what scares me. 

Strategy: As France, NATO had been surrounding us. With us being part of NATO but also “independent,” we were in no need to be prepared to get attacked. We didn’t need to withstand any attacks, but we were able to take back what used to be part of NATO as well as East Germany. Taking back Berlin had been a huge part in this war because we were able to take back our people that the USSR had split in half. We needed as many nukes as we possibly could, and maybe even try and take the USSR. If we were able to do that, the Warsaw Pact would have no nukes and they would be destroyed. 

France 2 Day 2

Thoughts: There had been multiple attacks on both Eastern and Western Germany of who had control on it. All of these attacks had included nuclear warfare which wiped out the whole army of the opposite side. The only bad thing about this nuclear war is that if you ever had an all out attack, you would eventually lose all of your troops because everyone theoretically had nuclear nukes. But then if you ever tried to escalate the war too much, there would be a nuclear missile launch. If you fired at someone, they had the missiles that they would fire theirs right back at you. The whole world would be destroyed with the click of a button. 

Strategy: With the fact that the war between Eastern and Western Germany, there had been a clear path to what we had to do. If we kept wasting our troops, we were going to get taken over by the Warsaw Pact and lose nukes that would “help” NATO. Everyone saw what the nuclear missiles would do to the war but it was the only thing that we could do if we were the target of the enemy’s nukes. We saw that if we didn’t launch our nuclear missiles, the armies of the Warsaw Pact would take back Turkey and the nukes that NATO had acquired in the borders of Turkey. So we pressed the button and the whole world was gone. Forever.