Adversarial by nature, a wargame is a representation of conflict activities not involving actual forces – using rules, data and procedures, in which the flow of events shapes, and is shaped, by decisions made by the players during the course of those events.
Wargaming has been utilised by professional military forces since the mid-1800s as a learning tool for commissioned and non-commissioned officers. The following presentation Introduction to Wargaming from the Royal Military College of Australia discusses the use of wargames as a pedagogical (teaching) tool that allows learners to teach themselves, internalise knowledge and enable cognitive engagement. It explains what a wargame is in this context, discusses chance and risk in warfare and its representation through gamification, briefly explores our ABCA partners’ experience with wargaming, and provides some resources for the learner to explore on their own.
This is the first of a number of short presentations concerning wargaming and its utility for learning. The series will explore types of wargames, wargaming techniques, how to select and condcut a wargame for professional military education. I hope this presentation serves as a primer for future learners to explore wargaming as another potential learning opportunity.
Colonel Bede Galvin
Director Military Arts, The Royal Military College of Australia
A note from The Cove Team: If you are interested in wargaming, here are a few great wargaming articles on The Cove.
- Reinvigorating Wargaming - Time to establish 'Fight Club'
- Is Wargaming a useful tool to train officers?
- Playing Board Games for PME?
MAJ Somerville appears to be referencing British publication at the point you indicated, we do not have the specific link however recommend accessing the Land Simulation Centre DRNet page on the DPN, specifically the 'Army Wargaming - Suggested Reading' section.
Hope this helps.