The Balkan League Matrix Game

Rules for the First and
Second Balkan Wars (1912-13)

by Bob Cordery

The Setting up of the Balkan League

As the power of the Ottoman Empire declined towards the end of the Nineteenth Century, the Balkan states gained independence, and by the beginning of 1912 only Albania, Macedonia, and Thrace remained under Turkish control. - The rulers of Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, and Serbia felt, however, that no part of the Balkans should remain part of the Turkish Empire, and so, in spite of long standing differences, they agreed to set up a military alliance - The Balkan League - with the sole intention of liberating the occupied areas. War between the League and Turkey then became inevitable, and, on the pretext that the Turks were maltreating the Albanians, the League declared war upon Turkey in October 1912.

The First Balkan War and its aftermath

The First Balkan War, as the conflict was later to be named, lasted a little over eight weeks, and by the end of it the Turks only retained a tiny toe-hold in Europe. The end of the war did not, however, bring a lasting peace to the area.

Almost as soon as the fighting was over the members of the Balkan League began to argue amongst themselves about what to do with the newly liberated territories. Both the Greeks and the Bulgarians wanted Thrace; the Serbs felt that they had been cheated of an outlet to the sea by the Bulgarians; the Montenegrans resented the fact that Scutari had been given to the new country of Albania; the Rumanians were fearful of the new, larger, and more powerful Bulgaria; and the Turkish Government, which was now controlled by a group of ultra-nationalist Army Officers, wanted a chance to regain their country's territorial losses.

The Second Balkan War

Another war was inevitable, and in June 1913 fighting between Greek and Serbian forces on one side, and Bulgarian troops on the other, broke out. Within days conflict was widespread. The Greeks, Montenegrans, Rumanians, and Serbs were united against the Bulgarians, who also had to contend with a Turkish offensive.

Against such odds it was inevitable that the Bulgarians would eventually be defeated, and after only fours weeks of fighting the Second Balkan War came to an end.

The Balkan League Matrix Game Campaign

The Balkan League Matrix Game Campaign tries to recreate the events of the First and Second Balkans Wars. The players are allocated one of the Balkan states, and each is given the appropriate Briefing Card (which contains sections on their country's historical BACKGROUND, their political AIMS, their ALLIES, their ARMED FORCES, and the MAXIMUM NUMBER OF MATRIX CARDS PER MOVE the player is allowed to pick up) and a Rules Summary Card (which contains sections on USING THE MATRIX, the LENGTH OF MOVE, MOVEMENT rates, and ARMY STRENGTH).

Once the matrix is setup and the campaign map is laid out, all the umpire has to do is ensure that the players understand how to use the matrix, and the game can begin.

The Balkan League Matrix Game Rules for the First and Second Balkan Wars (1912-13)

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© Copyright 1991 by Chris Engle
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