The Polish May Coup d'État on May 12-15, 1926 (Polish: "Przewrót majowy" or "zamach majowy") is one of the least known events of the 20th century. Even so, its outcome was very important for the whole world, as it settled the overall course of Poland until 1939, including opposition both to the Third Reich, as well as USRR.
What started as an officers' demonstration led by First Marshall Józef Piłsudski against the unpopular center-right government rapidly expanded into an unsuccesful coup d'état and ended as a short, albeit intensive quasi-revolutionary civil war. It put Poland at the brink of revolution and annihilation.
It is a rare example of an unsuccessful coup followed by a successful civil war.
"Przewrót majowy" had a very special climate. At the beginning it was partly a traditional "szlachta" foray (polish: "zajazd"), partly a political demonstration, with all of the 18th century "honorable war" traditions (including dueling officers and shooting above opponents' heads).
Unfortunately in a few days it fall into an abyss of bloody total civil war, with mass use in the center of Warsaw of tanks, armored trains, heavy artillery and aerial bombardments; with general strike, assassinating, sniping, and execution of prisoners as well as masses of civilian combatants, on both sides. It was really close to use of gas warfare.
The game "Maj 1926" (name may change) depicts those days in an innovative way: a card-driven euro-wargame.
Occupying areas in Warsaw (like the Citadel, telephone center, Prime Minister chancellery, Ministry of Railroad, Ministry of Defense, hospitals, supply depots; also railroad, power, gas and water stations) brings advantages (bonuses to combat, movement, logistics, politics, and many more, including variable phase order). Usually it is necessary to leave a unit to fully exploit such areas (a kind of worker placement).
Oddities of this conflict (such as a lack of fog of war, fluent dynamics of aggression, a big influence of politics over the course of battle) as well as all "what-if"s (like foreign intervention) are well represented in the mechanisms.
If you want to make successful coup in Poland (or defend the legal government) and you know the Polish language, it is a game for you.
Unfortunately the author doesn't anticipate an international version (other than translating the manual and all cards into a BGG file), as "przewrót majowy" is a kind of event understandable only by Poles.
Polish site about this game:
http://www.strategie.net.pl/viewforum.php?f=161&sid=0239f37ae2c3e623e339d6505c118971
Photos about this game:
http://umpapa.multiply.com/photos/album/26#
The game was to be published in 2011, on the 85th anniversary of "przewrót majowy". However due to delayment in playtestying, game will published later. Please be patient, as we want this game to be perfect.
Civil War, Wargame · Area Movement, Campaign / Battle Card Driven, Simultaneous Action Selection, Worker Placement
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