Strategy & Tactics # 345 - Tanks of August: Russian-Georgian War, 2008

From Decision Games:

The Magazine:

The Tanks of August: The Russian-Georgian War of 2008 The Soviet Republic of Georgia endured three wars during the years of the collapse of the USSR: the Georgian Civil War (1991–93), the South Ossetia War (1991–92) and the Abkhazia War (1992–93). That left the country devastated and divided, and set the conditions for the five day war against resurgent Russia in August 2008.

Additional feature articles:

- The Battle of Arsuf The common historiographic summary of the Third Crusade (1189–92) is that the Christians failed because they did not retake Jerusalem. That interpretation glosses over the successes achieved by the Crusaders. The Muslim defeat at Arsuf, coming so soon after their loss of Acre, was a huge blow to Saladin’s prestige. Then Richard successfully bargained for the right of unarmed Christian pilgrims to journey unmolested to the Muslim-held city of Jerusalem.

- Japan’s Strike South Plan: A Strategic Analysis A “Strike North” faction in the Japanese army wanted to invade the USSR in conjunction with a German drive in the west. Defeating the USSR would make available Caucasus oil via the Trans-Siberian Railroad while also opening Siberia for exploitation. The “Strike South” faction in the navy called for an offensive into the oil rich British and Dutch colonial holdings in Indonesia. Here is how that debate was resolved.

- The Republic of Texas Navy Historians generally overlook the Texas Navy, but it was critical in maintaining the new republic prior to its entry into the Union. Despite shortcomings, the Texas Navy kept the coast clear of enemy ships and secure from seaborne attack. During the San Jacinto campaign, it delivered vitally needed supplies to Sam Houston’s army. In 1843 the navy defeated a Mexican invasion of rebel Yucatán. Had that invasion been successful, it was to have led to a similar move on Texas.

The Game:

Tanks of August is a two-player game of the conflict in Georgia and the two separatist entities of South Ossetia and Abkhazia during mid-August 2008. The Russian player is attempting to destabilize Georgia, destroy infrastructure and her armed forces, and render it unable to join NATO, thus leaving it as a “buffer zone,” as would happen in Ukraine during the next decade. By consolidating the separatist entities of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Georgia would face a dilemma: recognize the independence of the two breakaway regions and try to join NATO or remain a “frozen conflict” and therefore unable to join NATO or the European Union in the foreseeable future.

Each game turn represents one day. The map scale is set at 10 km (6.2 miles) for each hex. Combat units are battalions with higher level headquarters providing additional capabilities. Air power and other supporting arms are abstracted using strike markers and events.

22 x 34-inch game map, 176 5/8-inch counters.