Harry S. Truman (Presidential Ratings, #2)

Last year, I have inaugurated a new irregular series on my blog assessing the merits of UK prime ministers (illustrated through the lens of a single board game each). The rating system seemed robust enough to apply it to other countries/leaders (at least if they are more or less democratic). Thus, we branched out to an American president and a German chancellor. Today’s subject is another US president – Harry S. Truman, the first Cold Warrior in the White House. And which game could be more appropriate for him than Twilight Struggle (Ananda Gupta/Jason Matthews, GMT Games)?

Franklin D. Roosevelt (Presidential Ratings, #1)

Last year, I have begun a new irregular series on my blog assessing the merits of UK prime ministers (illustrated through the lens of a single board game per prime minister). The rating system seemed robust enough to apply it to other countries/leaders (at least if they are more or less democratic). Thus, I’m branching out! Today, we’re doing our first US president. And we’re starting with none other than 20^th century heavyweight Franklin D. Roosevelt. The accompanying game will be Cataclysm (Scott Muldoon/William Terdoslavich, GMT Games).

Yalta, Potsdam, and the New World Order (End of World War II, #1)

World War II ended 75 years ago. 1945 was thus a massive watershed year in history. The biggest war that had ever been fought came to a close, and a new world order was forged. I’ll explore the end of World War II in a three-part miniseries. As war is an instrument of politics to achieve a better peace, I’ll kick the series off with this post on the conferences at which the great powers discussed the winning of the war against the Axis as well as the peace and the new world order which would follow. Several such conferences were held from 1943 on, but this post will only focus on the last two – the Yalta Conference in February 1945, three months before the end of the fighting in Europe, and the Potsdam Conference in July 1945, two months after the end of the fighting. 1945 was the end of World War II, but was it also the beginning of the Cold War? We’ll look into that question as well. As usual, board games will feature!

Roosevelt’s Address to Congress after the Attack on Pearl Harbor (USEAAR, #15)

This post is part of an after-action report of Unconditional Surrender! (Salvatore Vasta, GMT Games) . However, the text is not fictitious – Franklin D. Roosevelt gave this speech after the historical Japanese attack. All I changed is the date.

June 8, 1941

Mr. Vice President, and Mr. Speaker, and Members of the Senate and House of Representatives:
Yesterday, June 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

Roosevelt Wins Third Term (USEAAR, #11)

This post is part of an after-action report of Unconditional Surrender! (Salvatore Vasta, GMT Games) and therefore entirely fictitious.
Front page of the New York Times

November 6, 1940

ROOSEVELT DEFEATS DEWEY, WINS THIRD TERM
Incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt will remain in the White House for another four years. He is sure to have carried at least 311 electoral votes in yesterday’s presidential election. While his challenger Thomas E. Dewey has won more states (likely 29), President Roosevelt’s strength in the populous mid-Atlantic and southern states had him come out on top. Mr. Roosevelt will be the first president of the United States to be sworn in for a third term.