The Washington Conference 1921

It was not long after the end of the "war to end wars" that tensions manifest themselves in a number of different spheres. The internment of the German fleet meant that the centre of attention shifted to the Pacific, where a clash of cultural and economic views was becoming clear between the USA and Japan. At the heart of the problem was the relationship with China and the immediate sign was a naval arms race between the two countries. In Europe, the French and Italian positions were also causing concerns and the fleet strategists in those countries were considering their options carefully should conflict arise in the Mediterranean. The backdrop to all of this was the huge British fleet and its global network of naval bases. The Anglo-Japanese naval alliance was due for renewal and was the subject of much discussion in Imperial meetings as well as in the US administration. No power could afford to be without a massive fleet and yet no power could truly afford a massive fleet in economic terms. The US government invited delegates from the great powers to a meeting in Washington DC. The intention of the meeting was to agree a policy to reduce tension in the Pacific and, at the same time to agree relative levels of naval armament, in terms of ship sizes and numbers. Each participant saw advantages and problems for themselves and our game will present you with the same challenges. The game is set in November 1921, with the start of the conference. It is a game of diplomacy and negotiation. Teams will represent the interested parties from the British empire, from the USA, Japan, France, Italy, the Netherlands and the American press. There will be about 30 players who will take the roles of the chief political (very senior political figures) and naval negotiators(government defence ministers or very senior naval officers) and their staff. Many commentators believe that the development of the problems in Japan can be traced to the Washington Conference and therefore they place the conference firmly at the beginning of the road to war. Can you do better?