Rise of Totalitarianism

Description from the box:
"Germany 1919. Jan. 1: The opening of the Paris Peace Conference is imminent but unrest and violence are already spreading throughout Germany and Italy as well as in many other European countries. Communist forces are marching to power following the example of the Bolsheviks in Russia. The murder of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht is still a possibility. Will the German Social-Democracy make an evil pact with the proto-Nazi Freikorps to eliminate the two revolutionary leaders from the political theatre? Extreme left and right parties face each other creating disorder and putting the Social-Democratic and Liberal governments under pressure to bring peace to Europe. Democratic forces have about fifteen years to save the Old Continent from the maelstrom of tyranny and totalitarianism. Will they fail as happened in history? The economic crisis of middle classes the loss of monetary power and wealth hyperinflation the never-ending clash with the proletarian forces and the Great Depression ... will all such factors bring the liberal European countries to the verge of bankruptcy? Or will Mussolini and Hitler be left out of the history books?
Rise of Totalitarianism is an interactive simulation enabling you to explore all such questions. A card-driven strategy game it reproduces the ideological conflicts and political struggles that led to the establishment of totalitarian dictatorships in Europe throughout the 1920s and 1930s. The game covers the period 1919-1933 and is designed for three players. Each takes the role of one of the three Ideologies – Social-Democracy Fascism and Communism – that struggled for power during the timeline of the game.
Rise of Totalitarianism offers an accurate and detailed historical context supported by 90 game cards. Players exploit historical events and political actions to achieve political supremacy and must face the major crises that upset the European countries of the era. Game cards provide political points that are used by players to plan secret actions on the map by using action chits. Action chits are revealed simultaneously and players can then perform their reactions and activities (propaganda conflicts laws and reforms) to influence society public opinion political orientation the economy and the stability of governments."
Some more details on the game-play:
GOAL OF THE GAME – In Rise of Totalitarianism each player takes the role of an Ideology (Communism Fascism or Social-Democracy) and has the goal of controlling for as long as possible the Governments of the Major Powers represented in the game (Germany and Italy) and of as many Minor Nations as possible (Austria Czechoslovakia Greece Hungary Lithuania Poland Portugal Romania Spain and Yugoslavia). Players earn Victory Points (VP) mostly through the control of the Governments of Major Powers and Minor Nations.
To achieve control of Minor Nations players try to influence the political allegiance of such countries or they attempt to destabilize and overthrow their Governments. In both cases players are aiming for the same goal: to draw the ideological orientation of the Governments into their sphere of influence.
To achieve control of Major Powers on the other hand players must use deeper and more complex mechanisms. One Ideology controls the Government of each Major Power at any time with the other two Ideologies working in the background to influence public opinion and destabilize the Government. This causes the Government to fall and force new Elections which are then won by the Ideology thanks to the shift of mass support towards it. In addition Social-Democracy has the task of preserving Democracy by ensuring that the Governments are always determined by Elections. Fascism and Communism in contrast must attempt to put a totalitarian Regime in power – each Ideology has its own means and mechanism for doing this. Putting a Regime into power means that Elections will no longer take place in the nation – thus keeping the Government in power forever – unless the economic conditions and the stability of the country become so bad that the Regime is overthrown and new Elections can take place.
GAME-PLAY FUNDAMENTALS – All activities performed by players (Actions) to pursue their goals in Major Powers and Minor Nations are planned secretly by using Action chits. But planning these Actions is costly. Players pay these costs both by expending the Political Points (PP) provided by Game Cards (see below) and by using cubes which represent the Funding granted to their Ideologies by bankers industrialists agrarians foreign states or more simply the political support of bureaucrats and institutions. Funding fluctuates with the fortunes and disgraces of the major political parties represented by the Ideologies but also with the wealth of nations where these parties operate. Furthermore Actions can be supported b