Diplomacy (1959 Games Research First Edition)

If any board game deserves the title of "Most Consequential in History," Diplomacy has a strong claim. It has been played by US Presidents, generated lifelong rivalries, inspired countless modern strategy games, and produced a first edition that stands as one of the most significant artifacts in tabletop gaming history. The 1959 Games Research first edition is not just a collectible. It is a document of a moment when one man's obsession with negotiation and betrayal became a cultural institution.

The Genius of Allan B. Calhamer

Allan Calhamer developed Diplomacy while a student at Harvard in the early 1950s, inspired by his studies of European history and the diplomatic maneuvering that preceded World War I. He spent years refining the game through playtesting before submitting it to major publishers. The concept was rejected repeatedly, largely because the game had no dice and no luck whatsoever, an alien concept for mass-market game publishers of the era.

Undeterred, Calhamer funded a print run himself. In 1959, he paid for 500 numbered copies through his own Games Research imprint, making Diplomacy one of the earliest successful self-published board games in American history. Each copy was numbered, and the game was sold primarily through mail order and word of mouth.

The Game Itself

Diplomacy is played on a map of pre-World War I Europe. Seven players each represent a major power (England, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Russia, Turkey) and spend the game writing and delivering sealed orders, negotiating alliances, and betraying their friends at optimal moments. There is no randomness, no dice, no luck. Every outcome results entirely from negotiation, deception, and the cold calculus of tactical positioning.

The game takes 4-8 hours to play and has a well-earned reputation for destroying friendships. This is by design. Calhamer wanted to create a game that captured the reality of great power politics, where today's ally is tomorrow's enemy and self-interest ultimately overrides all else.

The First Edition

The 1959 first edition is physically modest by modern standards. The game came in a plain box containing the map, supply center markers, unit pieces, rule book, and order sheets. There was no lavish graphic design, no premium components. The 500 numbered copies were functional objects meant to be played, not displayed.

Copy #1, which remained in Calhamer's personal collection, was auctioned after his death in 2013. It reportedly reached over $5,000 at auction, driven by its unique provenance as the inventor's own copy. Other numbered copies from the original 500 run surface occasionally, typically through specialist game auctions, estate sales, and the Diplomacy-specific collector community.

Values and Condition Grades

First editions from 1959 are extremely rare and most are in played condition. The game was meant to be used, and very few survive with all components intact and in excellent condition.

Valuing a specific copy requires documenting the numbering (found inside the box), confirming completeness against known component lists, and assessing condition carefully. Most copies encountered in the wild are from later editions produced after Avalon Hill licensed the game in 1971.

Identifying the 1959 First Edition

To confirm a genuine 1959 Games Research first edition:

Box Style: The 1959 box has the Games Research imprint, not Avalon Hill or later publishers. The box is plain and utilitarian compared to later commercial editions.

Numbering: Copies were numbered 1 through 500. Look for the hand-stamped or printed number, typically on the inside of the box lid.

Map: The 1959 map is a specific printing with particular province boundary details that differ from later editions. Diplomacy specialists can identify the map variant on sight.

Rule Book: Early rule books have specific formatting and wording that collectors can compare against documented reference copies. The Diplomacy Archive and DipWiki.com maintain extensive documentation.

Components: The unit tokens and supply center markers differ from later commercial versions in material and design.

Legacy and Cultural Impact

Diplomacy went on to be licensed by Avalon Hill in 1971 and has been published continuously for over 65 years, making it one of the longest continuously published strategy games in history. It influenced virtually every subsequent diplomacy mechanic in modern gaming.

Famous players include John F. Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, and Walter Cronkite, all documented Diplomacy enthusiasts. The game spawned dedicated postal play communities in the 1960s and 1970s (essentially early play-by-mail gaming) and later online communities that persist today.

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