Historical wargame enthusiasts embrace 'Strategic Saturdays' at Pritzker Military Museum & Library
The Pritzker Military Museum & Library in Chicago will continue its new program designed for historical wargame enthusiasts, Strategic Saturdays.
The in-person program, which requires reservations, will be held on Saturdays throughout October at 10:30 a.m. at its 104 S. Michigan Ave. location.
"Strategy games provide an incredible way to sharpen thinking skills since they stress decision making and the consequence of choices," said Paul Grasmehr of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library. "We are really excited about this program and hope that we can educate those who have never played some of these historical games."
Strategic Saturdays will give players, 12 years and older, the opportunity to learn the impact technology has on tactics and get hands-on experience in making decisions constrained by time, terrain, weather, logistics, the enemy situation and the limits of command and control.
In addition to familiar strategy games like Chess and Go, eight other games will be available to players:
• Versailles 1919- PMML honors 2021 Pritzker Literature Award recipient Margaret MacMillan during October. Players take the role of David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau, Vittorio Orlando and Woodrow Wilson as they negotiate the many complex issues debated at the Paris Peace Conference, 1919.
• Agincourt: The Triumph of Archery Over Armor, Oct. 25, 1415, will immerse players in the St. Crispin's Day battle from the Hundred Years' War, as they find their plans are constrained by the terrain, weather, type of bow they're armed with, arrow supply, leader quality and morale.
• Axis & Allies, 1941, is a shorter version of Axis & Allies aimed to introduce new players to the Axis & Allies game mechanics. Players will struggle for control of Europe and Asia.
• Target for Today: Bombers Over the Reich, 1942-1945, is a solitaire game in which the player controls a B-17 or a B-24, and conducts a daylight bombing raid over Nazi-occupied Europe. Two games will be available each week. Players may select either the Aug. 1, 1943, low-level Ploesti raid or the Oct. 14, 1943, "Black Thursday" Schweinfurt raid.
• 13 Days: The Cuban Missile Crisis is a two player card-driven game that simulates the escalating tensions of the Cuban missile crisis.
• The Cuban Missile Crisis: The Threshold of Nuclear War is a fascinating card-driven game covering political and strategic decisions and actions amid increasing tension and military alert levels. Photoreconnaissance, convoys, accidents, world opinion, air and ground operations, a possible invasion of Cuba and risk of nuclear warfare are covered in this tension-filled game.
• Iron Curtain: Central Europe, 1945-1989, is the Standard Combat Series game that enables two players to explore what would have happened if the Warsaw Pact forces had launched an attack on NATO in central Europe in 1962.
• Golan - is another two player game that is part of the Fast Action Battle series. This game places players on the Golan Heights, on Oct. 6, 1973.
The Strategic Saturdays gaming experience will change each month. The current published list of games is featured during the month of October and can be reserved for play on Saturday, Oct. 2, 9, 23, and 30 at 10:30 a.m. Admission for members is $5, and $10 for nonmembers. Beginning Oct. 2, nonmembers can apply their $10 toward membership.
Also beginning Oct. 2, snacks and drinks will be offered and a parking discount will be available for guests who park at the Millennium Garage. Register in advance by visiting the website at: PritzkerMilitary.org.
About Pritzker Military Museum & Library
The Pritzker Military Museum & Library aims to increase the public's understanding of military history, military affairs, and national security by providing a forum for the study and exploration of our military - past, present, and future - with a specific focus on their stories, sacrifices, and values. With national and global reach, these spaces and events aim to share the stories of those who served and their contributions as citizen soldiers, helping citizens everywhere appreciate the relationship between the armed forces and the civilians whose freedoms they protect. A nongovernmental, nonpartisan organization, the Museum & Library features diverse collections, scholarly initiatives, and public programs from its flagship center in downtown Chicago to its world-class research center and park currently under construction in Somers, Wisconsin.