Over three lessons, groups of three build a playable simulation of the July Crisis in Twine. The player takes one of three roles, the Kaiser, the Tsar or Sir Edward Grey, and makes a decision at each of six points from 5 July to 4 August, while the story tracks variables the group sets up, such as the stage of Russian mobilisation, Germany's war plans and Britain's commitment to France, so that later passages and the ending depend on everything decided before. Every rule must rest on the source pack: once Russia orders general mobilisation, for instance, the group must decide from the evidence whether the Schlieffen Plan leaves Germany any choice but to attack France through Belgium. Groups then play each other's simulations, record how many runs end in a general war, and change any rule the players show to be unhistorical, before each group explains what its simulation claims about whether war could have been avoided.
This page is one of a growing set of PICRAT examples by cell, subject and grade. Page maintained by Andy Perryer.