Fulda Gap: A board game, West German society, and a battle that never happened, 1975-85

This article explores the reception of the American-made board game Fulda Gap: The First Battle of the Next War in the Federal Republic of Germany in the early 1980s. The German peace movement used the game, which depicted conventional, chemical, and nuclear war on German territory, as a potent symb...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:War & society 2022-08, Vol.41 (3), p.201-219
Main Author: Seipp, Adam R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cold War
Fulda Gap
Peace Movement
wargaming
West Germany
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:This article explores the reception of the American-made board game Fulda Gap: The First Battle of the Next War in the Federal Republic of Germany in the early 1980s. The German peace movement used the game, which depicted conventional, chemical, and nuclear war on German territory, as a potent symbol of what they believed to be American and NATO disregard for German lives and sovereignty. The controversy over the game reflected the changing character of German-American relations during the 'Second Cold War' and increasing concerns among Germans about the possible consequences of superpower conflict in Central Europe.
ISSN:0729-2473
2042-4345
DOI:10.1080/07292473.2022.2087401