Below is the first article in a series on Colonial Twilight from blog contributor Christopher Davis. This article can also be found on his blog. Enjoy! -Rachel
In this series, I am using GMT Game’s Colonial Twilight to explore counter-insurgency doctrine and to share my reflections on both theory and practice.
The Revolt Heard Around the World
The National Liberation Front (FLN) entrenched its positions in the Algerian countryside, establishing bases in Tizi Ouzou, just east of the capital Algiers. The concentration of a considerable force of guerillas required the government to redeploy its military forces from its clearing operations on the Western border to the sector.
Pursuant to the clear-hold-build strategy, I’ve tried to maximize the number of bases in the countryside. This gives more flexibility to the government forces as they can train new units as well as deploy supporting units in sectors with bases. The Development card also allowed me to add two new bases from the Out of Play box.
With multiple bases in the countryside, I was able to increase support in many sectors during the propaganda round (the “build” phase).
The Wretched Strike Back
The disposition of forces at the end of the first propaganda round.
But the enemy has a say in the battle too. The build-up of guerilla forces outside Algiers was aided by the Casbah card, which allowed the FLN to deploy four guerillas in Algiers to challenge government control in the capital. Before the government could respond, FLN agitation reduced support in the city, pushing France away from its objectives.
As you can see on the board, this will necessitate a strong government response. I’ve decided to commit an additional six French military and four French police units. The reduction in commitment points was partially offset by the increase in support, which means that this next round will be used to focus on the “clear” part of the strategy; first in Algiers, then at guerilla bases.
Reflections
One thing that is immediately clear is that “clear-hold-build” is not a sequential continuum where the counter-insurgent moves deliberately from one phase to the next. Instead, the counter-insurgent must be sufficiently flexible to move back and forth between activities as the guerilla movement mobilizes. The capture of Algiers by the FLN is a clear setback for the government, forcing it to reduce its focus on “build” and to immediately resort to “clear”. If the FLN can disperse its forces into government controlled rural provinces before the arrival of French reinforcements, it could force the government on the defensive.
Secondly, the government does not have enough forces (military units and resources) to both clear and build simultaneously. Striking at guerilla forces in Algiers and its neighboring sectors will mean leaving other rural sectors vulnerable to the FLN, and will also mean that FLN strongholds elsewhere will not be threatened. Since the FLN can recruit one guerilla for each population plus bases in a sector, eliminating its stronghold in Tizi Ouzou (where it can recruit four units) simultaneously becomes very costly and the number one priority. As can be seen on the map, the FLN is about to inflict several casualties on the French Army.
Author: Christopher Davis
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