Post by The High Commissioner on Jan 11, 2020 11:28:05 GMT
I'm going to lay aside, for now, the question of whether alliances even exist in Diplomacy. It's a vaguely interesting philosophical discussion that I may comment on in another post (if I remember) but, while I hate gloss paint, I'm going to use it here and simply say that, at least at the start of a game of Dip, agreements between powers can be called alliances without much worry.
So it's time to have a bit of fun, here. I'm going to give you my names for 2- and 3-power alliances. Some of the names I've used are established names, some my own. Where I've used some alternatives, and overlooked names that are commonly used in Dip circles, I'll note why.
I should say that I don't think some of these alliances are worthwhile, but, well, why not give them a name? I should also say that using names isn't absolutely necessary; it's just as easy to call the Saxon Alliance the Anglo-German alliance as anything else (and more easily identifiable by doing so). It's not as useful to give an alliance a name as it is to name opening moves, but I'm not pretending this is a useful post!
2-way alliances
England and...
France: The Entente Cordiale (or, simply, Entente) - the name of the Anglo-French alliance prior to WWI.
Italy: The Hadrian - Hadrian was the Roman emperor who is supposed to have had the wall between Britannia (Roman Britain) and Caledonia (non-Roman Scotland).
Germany: The Saxon - Saxons originated in Germany and, over a number of centuries, migrated to England pre- and post-Roman occupation.
Austria: The Ostend - During the 7 years war, England and the Hapsburg Empire (which became Austria-Hungary) allied and the Hapsburg Empire ended it's overseas colonisation programme which had been run by the Ostend Company.
Turkey: The Coven - Named because England and Turkey are sometimes referred to as 'witches' in Dip, being corner powers and difficult to invade.
Russia(1): The Anglonaut - Because almost any 2-way alliance featuring Russia is the "somethingnaut".
France and...
Italy: The Gaulish - France was known as Gaul at the time of the Roman Empire.
Germany: The Rhineland - an area of Europe both powers have, historically, claimed.
Austria: The Marie Antoinette - Louis XVI's wife, who came from the Hapsburg Empire (her of the "Let them eat bread" notoriety - allegedly).
Turkey: The Mediterranean - because they span the Mediterranean seas.
Russia: The Franconaut - because almost any 2-way alliance featuring Russia is the "somethingnaut".
Italy and...
Germany: The Pact of Steel - named after the same alliance in WWII.
Austria: The Dalmatian - an area of Europe both powers have, historically, claimed.(2)
Turkey: The Unholy Alliance - named for an alliance between Catholicism and Islam.
Russia: The Wintergreen - a fairly well-known name in Dip for this alliance.
Germany and...
Austria: The Dual Alliance - the WWI name for this alliance.(3)
Turkey: The Railroad - pre-WWI Germany signed a treaty with the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) to build railways extending the route of the Orient Express.
Russia: The Prussian - a non-SC space that is often demilitarised when Russia and Germany get on.
Austria and...
Turkey: The Osturk - a combination of the start of Austria's Germanic name (Österreich) and Turkey, and pleasingly similar to other words that end 'turk'.
Russia: The Austronaut - because almost any 2-way alliance featuring Russia is the "somethingnaut".
Turkey and...
Russia: The Juggernaut - a very well-known name in Dip for this alliance, which is supposedly able to roll across the board.
3-way alliances
England, France and...
Italy: The Spaghetti Western - why not?
Germany: The Western Triple - a well-known name in Dip for this alliance.
Austria: The Faerie - formed by combining the 3 powers' initials in a word... and because it isn't a very believable alliance.
Turkey: The Crimean - the three powers were allied against Russia in the Crimean War.
Russia: The Triple Entente - the name for the alliance in WWI.
England, Italy and...
Germany: The Guillotine - because, if these three ally, France is dead.
Austria: The Aegis - formed by combining the 3 powers' initials in a word... and because the word sounds pretty cool.
Turkey: The Maritime - because all 3 powers can be sea powers.
Russia: The Verbrennung - *deep breath* take the initials of the 3 powers for the word 'ire', add f to make 'fire' (because if your ire has been raised you might be fuming) and translate 'burning' into German because Germany will burn if faced with this alliance.
England, Germany and...
Austria: The Germanic - because Germans have had a huge part to play in all 3 powers at some stage in history.
Turkey: Russia's Bane - because Russia is out if facing this alliance.
Russia: The Northern Triple - because it is.
England, Austria and...
Turkey: The Scimitar - because the curved line between these powers' capitals forms a curve similar to that of a scimitar (sort of).
Russia: The Drucken - German for 'press' and Germany will be heavily pressed if faced with this alliance.
England, Turkey and...
Russia: The Eastern Arc - from the shape around the eastern edge of the board.(4)
France, Italy and...
Germany: The Swiss Star - based around Switzerland, you see.
Austria: The Garanzia - which is Italian for "guarantee" or "safety" because this protects Italy from west and east.
Turkey: The South Seas Triple - because these are the three maritime powers of the south. I was going to call this the Southern alliance, but that could be confusing.
Russia: The Vice - because there's no area of the board that can't be squeezed.
France, Germany and...
Austria: The Alsatian - In 1793 the forces of Republican France defeated an Austro-Prussian alliance and allowed France to cease Alsace.
Turkey: The Graft - because Turkey's been grafted onto the Franco-German alliance, it takes graft to make it work... and it incorporates G,F,T.
Russia: The German Ocean Triple (GOT) - because England is unlikely to control the North Sea for long, so it becomes the German Ocean (which is an old alternative name).(5)
France, Austria and...
Turkey: The Schiacciare - Italian for "crushed" because, well, yeh, Italy doesn't have much hope.
Russia: The Austerlitz - named after the battle which saw Napoleon defeat Austria and Russia, leading to a treaty between Austria and France, and Russian withdrawal from the Napoleonic Wars at that time.
France, Turkey and...
Russia: The Bridge - because it links the Juggernaut in the east with France in the west.
Italy, Germany and...
Austria: The Central Triple - because it is.
Turkey: The Vienna Sandwich - because Austria is sandwiched between the three... and it's a tasty cake.
Russia: The Hatchet - it cuts the board in two.
Italy, Austria and...
Turkey: Il Greco - because it will usually start with the agreed Italian occupation of Greece.
Russia: The Gobbler - because the Turkey gets gobbled up... and 'gobbler' being a name for a Turkey.
Italy, Turkey and...
Russia: The Southern Arc - simply because of the shape it makes around the board.
Germany, Austria and...
Turkey: The Grater - because Russia is run over a grater and shredded... and it incorporates G,R,A.
Russia: The Dreikaiserbund (or DKB) - the 'League of Three Emperors', the name given to this alliance in post-Napoleonic Europe.
Germany, Turkey and...
Russia: The Wedge - from the shape: Germany is the point of the wedge.
Austria, Turkey and...
Russia: The Eastern Triple - because it is.
Notes
So it's time to have a bit of fun, here. I'm going to give you my names for 2- and 3-power alliances. Some of the names I've used are established names, some my own. Where I've used some alternatives, and overlooked names that are commonly used in Dip circles, I'll note why.
I should say that I don't think some of these alliances are worthwhile, but, well, why not give them a name? I should also say that using names isn't absolutely necessary; it's just as easy to call the Saxon Alliance the Anglo-German alliance as anything else (and more easily identifiable by doing so). It's not as useful to give an alliance a name as it is to name opening moves, but I'm not pretending this is a useful post!
2-way alliances
England and...
France: The Entente Cordiale (or, simply, Entente) - the name of the Anglo-French alliance prior to WWI.
Italy: The Hadrian - Hadrian was the Roman emperor who is supposed to have had the wall between Britannia (Roman Britain) and Caledonia (non-Roman Scotland).
Germany: The Saxon - Saxons originated in Germany and, over a number of centuries, migrated to England pre- and post-Roman occupation.
Austria: The Ostend - During the 7 years war, England and the Hapsburg Empire (which became Austria-Hungary) allied and the Hapsburg Empire ended it's overseas colonisation programme which had been run by the Ostend Company.
Turkey: The Coven - Named because England and Turkey are sometimes referred to as 'witches' in Dip, being corner powers and difficult to invade.
Russia(1): The Anglonaut - Because almost any 2-way alliance featuring Russia is the "somethingnaut".
France and...
Italy: The Gaulish - France was known as Gaul at the time of the Roman Empire.
Germany: The Rhineland - an area of Europe both powers have, historically, claimed.
Austria: The Marie Antoinette - Louis XVI's wife, who came from the Hapsburg Empire (her of the "Let them eat bread" notoriety - allegedly).
Turkey: The Mediterranean - because they span the Mediterranean seas.
Russia: The Franconaut - because almost any 2-way alliance featuring Russia is the "somethingnaut".
Italy and...
Germany: The Pact of Steel - named after the same alliance in WWII.
Austria: The Dalmatian - an area of Europe both powers have, historically, claimed.(2)
Turkey: The Unholy Alliance - named for an alliance between Catholicism and Islam.
Russia: The Wintergreen - a fairly well-known name in Dip for this alliance.
Germany and...
Austria: The Dual Alliance - the WWI name for this alliance.(3)
Turkey: The Railroad - pre-WWI Germany signed a treaty with the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) to build railways extending the route of the Orient Express.
Russia: The Prussian - a non-SC space that is often demilitarised when Russia and Germany get on.
Austria and...
Turkey: The Osturk - a combination of the start of Austria's Germanic name (Österreich) and Turkey, and pleasingly similar to other words that end 'turk'.
Russia: The Austronaut - because almost any 2-way alliance featuring Russia is the "somethingnaut".
Turkey and...
Russia: The Juggernaut - a very well-known name in Dip for this alliance, which is supposedly able to roll across the board.
3-way alliances
England, France and...
Italy: The Spaghetti Western - why not?
Germany: The Western Triple - a well-known name in Dip for this alliance.
Austria: The Faerie - formed by combining the 3 powers' initials in a word... and because it isn't a very believable alliance.
Turkey: The Crimean - the three powers were allied against Russia in the Crimean War.
Russia: The Triple Entente - the name for the alliance in WWI.
England, Italy and...
Germany: The Guillotine - because, if these three ally, France is dead.
Austria: The Aegis - formed by combining the 3 powers' initials in a word... and because the word sounds pretty cool.
Turkey: The Maritime - because all 3 powers can be sea powers.
Russia: The Verbrennung - *deep breath* take the initials of the 3 powers for the word 'ire', add f to make 'fire' (because if your ire has been raised you might be fuming) and translate 'burning' into German because Germany will burn if faced with this alliance.
England, Germany and...
Austria: The Germanic - because Germans have had a huge part to play in all 3 powers at some stage in history.
Turkey: Russia's Bane - because Russia is out if facing this alliance.
Russia: The Northern Triple - because it is.
England, Austria and...
Turkey: The Scimitar - because the curved line between these powers' capitals forms a curve similar to that of a scimitar (sort of).
Russia: The Drucken - German for 'press' and Germany will be heavily pressed if faced with this alliance.
England, Turkey and...
Russia: The Eastern Arc - from the shape around the eastern edge of the board.(4)
France, Italy and...
Germany: The Swiss Star - based around Switzerland, you see.
Austria: The Garanzia - which is Italian for "guarantee" or "safety" because this protects Italy from west and east.
Turkey: The South Seas Triple - because these are the three maritime powers of the south. I was going to call this the Southern alliance, but that could be confusing.
Russia: The Vice - because there's no area of the board that can't be squeezed.
France, Germany and...
Austria: The Alsatian - In 1793 the forces of Republican France defeated an Austro-Prussian alliance and allowed France to cease Alsace.
Turkey: The Graft - because Turkey's been grafted onto the Franco-German alliance, it takes graft to make it work... and it incorporates G,F,T.
Russia: The German Ocean Triple (GOT) - because England is unlikely to control the North Sea for long, so it becomes the German Ocean (which is an old alternative name).(5)
France, Austria and...
Turkey: The Schiacciare - Italian for "crushed" because, well, yeh, Italy doesn't have much hope.
Russia: The Austerlitz - named after the battle which saw Napoleon defeat Austria and Russia, leading to a treaty between Austria and France, and Russian withdrawal from the Napoleonic Wars at that time.
France, Turkey and...
Russia: The Bridge - because it links the Juggernaut in the east with France in the west.
Italy, Germany and...
Austria: The Central Triple - because it is.
Turkey: The Vienna Sandwich - because Austria is sandwiched between the three... and it's a tasty cake.
Russia: The Hatchet - it cuts the board in two.
Italy, Austria and...
Turkey: Il Greco - because it will usually start with the agreed Italian occupation of Greece.
Russia: The Gobbler - because the Turkey gets gobbled up... and 'gobbler' being a name for a Turkey.
Italy, Turkey and...
Russia: The Southern Arc - simply because of the shape it makes around the board.
Germany, Austria and...
Turkey: The Grater - because Russia is run over a grater and shredded... and it incorporates G,R,A.
Russia: The Dreikaiserbund (or DKB) - the 'League of Three Emperors', the name given to this alliance in post-Napoleonic Europe.
Germany, Turkey and...
Russia: The Wedge - from the shape: Germany is the point of the wedge.
Austria, Turkey and...
Russia: The Eastern Triple - because it is.
Notes
- Any maps I use on the Forum will feature Russia coloured white. However, white text isn't going to be seen very easily on this background so I will use purple for Russia here.
- The Austro-Italian alliance is better known as the Lepanto alliance, mainly because it identifies with the Austro-Italian opening which is known as the Lepanto (or set of openings known as Lepanto openings). Well, fair enough but I have issues with this. First, if you're going to form an Austro-Italian alliance, calling it the Lepanto alliance suggests that you're going to use a Lepanto opening, and you may not be. I also dislike confusion: why call an alliance by a name that is also used for an opening combination of moves? Seems more than a bit silly to me.
- The Austro-German alliance is well known as the Anschluss alliance. I dislike that name because it's a WWII name for not so much an alliance as the occupation of Austria by Germany, and because there is a perfectly serviceable WWI name for this alliance; Dip is set pre-WWI, after all.
- The ETR alliance is sometimes known as the Anglonaut, ie the Juggernaut+England. For me, the Juggernaut is a 2-way alliance and, while I'm perfectly happy to steal the 'naut' and add it to create another alliance name, they ought to be for 2-way alliances featuring Russia, hence the Anglonaut is the 2-way Anglo-Russian alliance.
- The FGR alliance may also be called William and Mary alliance, identifying it with the set of opening moves known as the William and Mary opening. Again, though, I'm not happy confusing an alliance with opening moves.