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The Black Sea Theatre (part 1): Introduction

When thinking about the Diplomacy board you may think of dividing it into zones. A traditional division is to split the board into two parts: the Northern (or Western) Triangle, featuring England, France and Germany, and the Southern (Eastern) Triangle of Russia, Austria-Hungary and Turkey.

This isn't a clean division. Italy doesn't really fit into either Triangle, and only gets involved depending on how she opens. Russia sits on the dividing line and can't afford to ignore the north or the south.

There's nothing wrong with this consideration; it is useful to focus your attention. And, if you are considering long-term strategy knowing the stalemate lines that split the board is an advantage.

Personally, though, I prefer to narrow down the areas of the board and consider the possibilities there. I therefore have a number of 'theatres' that I consider, and the Black Sea Theatre is one of them.
The Black Sea Zone
The first thing to mention about this zone is that it involves the three regional powers Russia, Turkey and Austria-Hungary. Italy can become involved quickly enough, with the right moves, but only if Austria or Turkey allow it.

The other thing to say is that the Aegean Sea is that the area of sea in the top right of the image is a space which no power can move into. It is the Caspian Sea but it isn't named on the board, so you can't move there.

Unsurprisingly, the Black Sea is central to this theatre. It is a very important space. Not only is it surrounded by five SCs (and Armenia) but it is a defining space in the relationship between Turkey and Russia. It doesn't take much, does it, to imagine how both these powers might want to move their fleets there?

There are two other sea spaces. The Aegean Sea is named and has a marginal inclusion on the zone, simply because it has such an impact on Constantinople and Smyrna. The other sea space, at the bottom of the image, is the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, and it doesn't affect the zone usually.

The image features some unnamed land spaces:
  • Syria is the southern-most of Turkey's spaces, and isn't part of the zone in other than exceptional circumstances.
  • Moscow is north of Sevastopol, a Russian SC hosting an army. It can become involved.
  • Warsaw is north-west of Ukraine, another Russian, army-hosting SC.
  • Galicia is north of Budapest, an Austrian space which is a non-SC but within the zone.
  • Serbia is directly west of Bulgaria, and not involved; a neutral space.
  • Greece is in the south-east corner of the image, a neutral SC but not involved.
Not surprisingly, the Black Sea itself is the key space in the zone. However, depending upon the alliance structure in the theatre, Armenia, Bulgaria, and Rumania may be just as important.
Heathley Baines (Nibbler)
Editor

The Series "The Black Sea Theatre"
Part 1: "Introduction"
Part 2: "The Super Fleet"
Part 3: "Turkey"
Part 4: "Russia"
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