Bell of Treason, The - 1938 Munich Crisis in Czechoslovakia

During the crisis period of 1938, Czechoslovakia underwent an internal moral struggle about whether or not to stand and fight against Nazi Germany, the consequences of which Czech and Slovak society have probably never fully come to terms with. The decision to concede the Sudetenland to Germany was a difficult one, and the merits of both sides of the argument are clear: pragmatically, there was little hope that Czechoslovakia could have survived a German invasion in 1938, but its spirit was still strong, and a decision to fight could have sent a clear message to the rest of Europe and altered the course of history. How did Czechoslovakia, with a proud, professional military and seemingly strong alliances with France and the Soviet Union, end up making this fateful decision to concede in 1938? The Bell of Treason allows you to relive the events in Czechoslovakia that led up to this decision and potentially change the course of history.

The Bell of Treason is a fast-paced, card-driven board game in which two players experience the existential crisis faced by Czechoslovakia in response to Hitler’s territorial demands. One player represents the ideal of trying to Defend the country, even without allies and at any cost. The other player represents the historically victorious ideal of agreeing to Concede the Sudetenland territory, in order to prevent bloodshed and hoping that Hitler’s demands would stop there. The game adapts the crisis modeling system originally introduced in Mark Herman's Fort Sumter and then further developed in Fred Serval's Red Flag Over Paris. The game does not make any judgment about whether it would have been the right choice for Czechoslovakia to defend itself in 1938, nor whether such a defense could, in any sense, have been successful. Instead, it allows you to experience for yourself this crisis period of 1938, which forever influenced Czechoslovakia's path and the eventual course of World War II. The game can also be played solo, using an adaption of the innovative and elegant system originally designed by Jason Carr for Red Flag Over Paris.

The Bell of Treason focuses a spotlight on a crucial moment in the build-up to World War II, when Czechoslovakia might have decided to stand and fight against increasingly aggressive German territorial expansion, whether or not its allies in France and the Soviet Union were willing to defend it. It also emphasizes the perspective of the Czechoslovak people during this period, providing a unique opportunity to learn about and experience the history of the crisis.