Imperial Fever is a game of Great Power competition in the period 1880-1914. However, the term “Great Power” is difficult to define and open to discussion. The four players in the game take on the roles of the United Kingdom, France, the Central Empires (which for game purposes comprise Germany and Austria-Hungary), and the Emergent Powers (which include the United States and Japan). However, there are other powers, both in Europe and outside Europe, that were very active or important in this period. Russia, Italy and most certainly China come to mind. On the other hand, other powers such as Spain, Portugal, or the Netherlands, had been major imperial actors until very recently and were still active in the international stage. Even Leopold II, the king of a small and recent country like Belgium, secured an important if notorious role in the colonial race starting in the 1880s.

The role of all these international actors is not neglected in Imperial Fever, even if they do not appear as player factions. The aim of this article is to explain and analyse how Imperial Fever incorporates their actions and influence.

The 19^th century is the age of British hegemony. This hegemony was expressed in terms of economic development, territorial expansion, diplomatic influence, and the capacity to project military power anywhere on the globe. In 1880 the British Empire was by far the largest in the world, including the vast territories of India, Canada, and Australia, as well as key bases straddling the oceans, which allowed Britain to supply its coal-fuelled navy and ensure the protection of its far-flung Empire. The City of London was the financial heart of the developed world, and the British Navy was bigger than that of the two following powers combined.

France in 1880 was also a first-class economic power and Paris was undoubtedly the cultural capital of the world, but the country was still reeling from its defeat in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, which had left deep wounds in French national pride. The Third Republic, established after the abdication of Napoleon III and lasting until the French debacle in World War II, was characterised by political strife and instability. Many in France saw colonial expansion as a necessary balm to recover lost prestige and unify the country in an external venture, as they bided their time until they could take revenge on the new German Empire.

The recently unified German Reich was the youngest power in Europe, but it had demonstrated its military prowess by destroying the supposedly formidable French Imperial Army in a short campaign and capturing the French Emperor, Napoleon III, in the encirclement battle of Metz. The German Empire had prioritized European expansion and Bismarck was at first indifferent to building an overseas empire, an endeavour he considered expensive and of doubtful use. Bismarck’s priority was to build an alliance system that would isolate France and ensure peace in Europe under the terms imposed after the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian war. All this changed when Wilhelm II came to the throne with very different ideas. The young Kaiser promptly got rid of the aging Bismarck and embarked on a project of global expansion based on naval power that antagonized Britain. Wilhelm also tied the destiny of the Reich to that of the decaying Austro-Hungarian Empire, at the cost of friendship with Russia, which Bismarck had so carefully cultivated.

Many of the more experienced players of historical games have fond memories of Pax Britannica, a game published by Victory Games in 1985. According to its rules, “Pax Britannica recreates the dynamics of the colonial era, from 1880 to the outbreak of the Great War”. However, many players feel that Pax Britannica has not aged too well, and it is a difficult game to bring it to the table today. It requires detailed bookkeeping and players need to fill in meticulous tax-like forms to reflect income and expenses. Also, the action phase lacks structure, without any specific player order, so that players may interrupt and compete for actions without clear rules. When wars break out, a separate game system opens where only the involved players act, with the rest just looking on for what can be rather lengthy periods of time. Accommodating up to seven players, a game of Pax Britannica usually lasts a full day, often longer. There are other issues regarding diplomacy, asymmetry, and agency, but these are not relevant to the topic of this article.