Diplomacy is a board game of international (and quite personal) trust, promises, and outright treachery. It's the turn of the 20th century and the seven Great European Powers are vying for dominance. Players of Diplomacy represent England, Germany, Russia, Turkey, Italy, France, or Austria-Hungary prior to World War I.

At the beginning of each turn, players meet together in small groups to discuss their plans and suggest strategies. This is where alliances are openly or secretly made and orders are coordinated. Immediately thereafter, each player secretly writes an order for each of his or her units on a slip of paper. When all of the orders have been written, they are simultaneously revealed and then resolved. At this point, some army or naval units are moved, some are forced to retreat, and some are removed.

Each turn represents six months of time. The first turn is called a Spring turn and the next a Fall turn. After each Fall turn, each Great Power must reconcile the number of military units it controls with the number of Supply Centers it controls. This is when some units are removed and new ones built.

In order to survive, a player will need the help of others, and that will require negotiations, the forming of alliances, and promises - some will be kept and some will be broken. You've got an agenda, and a little back stabbing here and there can't be all bad, especially if it gets you closer to supremacy! The object of Diplomancy is to control the 18 Supply Centers, and in the end, the Great Power that manges to accomplish this tricky task through clever cunning wins the game.

Although Diplomacy is best played with seven players, rules for fewer players are included in the "Alternate Way to Play" section of the rulebook.

Contents of Diplomacy:

• 84 Fleets
• 84 Armies
• 147 Control Markers
• Game Board
• Map Pad
• Rulebook