Re: American Revolution
 

In history class, they told me that British Historians and the British Foreign Office used a different list of wars they called "World Wars." Given several 18th-century wars were fought on more continents than the 20th-century world wars. so they have a point.

Re: American Revolution
 

I'll try to answer. Several college textbooks used that term, mainly western civ. and American History. I've read the term used in a book of Academic Articles by Dutch, Danish, and German historians translated by Scots and French historians. A French professor I took an 18th-century history colloquium from used the term. And an Italian historian whose self-translated book on the political evolution of Europe in the 1780s I read used it too.

However, I haven't heard the term since the year 2000. It may be out of date. As for names dates and book titles, I would need to go across town and sort through my storage unit. I simply lack the energy, forgive me.

Re: American Revolution
 

I’m sure one could split hairs on definitions until the cows came home, but I think that most sensible definitions of “world war” would end up calling the Seven Years War the first. Dragged in the Mughals and the Iroquois...

(And yeah, I guess you could even say it was fought on more continents than WWII, so long as “being firebombed” doesn’t count as fighting...)

Re: American Revolution
 

I suspect it is just none of these wars were important enough in the long run for most Europeans to cover them in their history classes, as you might expect from the names - the Sixth Anglo-Spanish, Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, Second Anglo-Maratha Wars and the First League of Armed Neutrality

Though the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War does seem to have been relatively disastrous for the Netherlands and might be remembered more if the French Revolution hadn't overshadowed everything a decade later.

Re: American Revolution
 

I think most people here (In the Gurps forums anyway) either know or know where to find information about these times in history. I think what might be useful though is a series of Loadouts for the troops and civilians involved in these conflicts.

Re: American Revolution
 

It's been a few years since I looked through AoN, but HT and Swashbucklers would be useful (the ship combat in SB especially, although it's repeated in one of the Compendiums).

GURPS Scarlet Pimpernel is set in the right time period, but the focus is quite different. Also never owned it, so I can't say more about it.

Re: American Revolution
 

WWII = Europe, Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands.

Seven Years War = Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, the Caribbean.

Yeah, the Seven Years War wins.

Re: American Revolution
 

In North America, prior to the Revolution, we had:

- King William's War (1688-1697), the North American theatre of the Nine Years War (1688-1697)
- Queen Anne's War (1702-1713), the North American theatre of the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714)
- King George's War (1744-1748), part of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748)
- French and Indian War (1754-1763), part of and lead-in to the Seven Years War (1756-1763).

And then the American Revolution (1775-1783), which included in later years not only France starting in 1778, but Spain and the Dutch Republic in the periphery; Spain was an ally of France at the time and declared war on Britain that same year, and the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War (1780-1784) broke out over Dutch trade with the Americans during the Revolution. (I'm uncertain whether Spain or the Netherlands fought on North American soil during that time, nor am I certain as to whether or not they were officially allies of the Americans the way France was.)


Note that the French Revolution broke out in 1789, and lasted until Napoleon became dictator in 1799.

Re: American Revolution
 

I'd forgo Gettysburg, as it's only famous for the one battle. Important as that battle may be, it's a bit short for a campaign. Instead, I'd probably go with Union-occupied New Orleans or Richmond. Or, of course, New York City. You could even do a pair of NYC hot spots, one for the AWI when it's occupied by the Brits, and the other during the ACW when you've got the draft riots and Gangs of New York action.

Having a bunch of information in a game-ready packet complete with adventure hooks, NPCs, and maps is extremely valuable to me. And I'm personally well equipped to do the research; I just don't want to. I'd rather spend my gaming time prepping adventures or something. Also, if I start doing research I end up running down rabbit trails and the players get a lecture on the importance of the logistics of the Mississippi instead of an actual adventure running past the guns of Vicksburg.

Re: American Revolution
 

I think I mainly agree with you. Although a GURPS: Hot Spots: Vicksburgh would be valuable, it is an even more important battle than Gettysburg. A Hot Spots Civil War Virginia would cover many of the most vital campaigns and battles. But an overarching book would still be grand.

Agreed, but it's so useful to know that Vicksburg's guns couldn't aim low enough to hit boats sailing close to the Vicksburg side of the river.