Browse Exhibits (10 total)

This collection showcases the history of wargaming by bringing together rule books and maps from various different war games from all over the world to demonstrate the evolution of wargaming during the 19th century.  

Classic examples of war games have existed for centuries, taking the form of head-to-head strategy games such as Go or Chess. In the 17th Century, Christopher Weikhmann made modifications to the game of chess, mostly expanding the size of the board and the amount of pieces being played. He called it the "King's Game." Further modifications were made to this example but they all revolved around a chess-like board. 

It was not until 1811 when a Prussian Baron, Leopold Georg von Reisswitz, developed the prototype for what would become the first modern wargame, Taktisches Kriegs-Spiel (Tactical War Game), or what will just come to be known as Kriegsspiel (War Game). His son will come along in 1824 and refine the rules and revolutionize the way militaries go about understanding, teaching, and making preparations for war. The Reisswitzes moved the earlier games from modified chess boards and into a sand box initially, where life like terrain could be used and blocks stood in for regiments. The sandbox would be replaced by the more practical topographical map. This way a war game could simulate conflict near anywhere as long as you had a map. Kriegsspiel also featured the use of an impartial umpire who would make rulings during game play. 

The Prussians (and later the German Empire) maintained a near monopoly on wargaming throughout the rest of 19th Century. Utilizing Kriegsspiel in their military academies and clubs would spring up around Germany, where military men would get together to play the game and hash out tactics. One instructor, General Verdy du Vernois, would call for an abandonment of the rules of the game and allow players to play free of rules and calculations. This came to be known as Free Kriegsspiel, while the classic game was referred to as Rigid Kriegsspiel. 

During the 19th Century, other nations would translate and adopt the Kriegsspiel Rules. Not really until the second half of the century would you have countries offering their own variants to the Kriegsspiel model, but still holding close to the general concept. The American Kriegsspiel (1882) and Strategos (1880) are two such American examples.   The 20th century would bring an explosion in popularity to wargaming, both inside and outside of the military, but these 19th century antecedents set the precedent and structure for the games that came after them. By understanding how these nations used wargames in their military preparations and planning, we gain a deeper knowledge of the wars and military conflicts of the 19th and 20th centuries. 

The collection boasts access to digital copies of the original Taktisches Kriegs-Spiel, the younger Reisswitz's rules, Anleitung zur Darstellung Militarishcer Monover, as well as Verdy du Vernois's Beitrag zum Kriegsspiel and an English translation by the American Capt. Eben Swift entitled A Simplified War Game. Examples of British and American war games from the century are also available. This is an ongoing collection and the hope is to keep pulling together as many examples of 19th century war games as available online. Next year, we will be bringing you additional war games from the 20th century.

For America, the 20th Century saw a remarkable amount of military involvement from its reluctant entrance to the First World War on through to its part in the Kosovo War at the end of the century with many major wars and conflicts in the intervening years.

In many respects, the history of America's military over the course of the previous century is the history of America itself. It was a century of conflicts and gaining a better understanding of those conflicts and America's involvement will provide a deeper knowledge of the country. 

Thanks to the generous donation of long-serving APUS Board of Trustee member and retired Army LT GEN Richard G. Trefry's personal papers, we can better tell the story of this history. GEN Trefry's long service in the Army lasted from WWII until after 9/11, and his personal papers cover a wide breadth of the 20th Century.

The Trefry Archives are working to cull a number of specific collections that will help students and researchers to tell the history of America's military history of the 20th Century. 

Providing high quality higher education is an essential part of American Public University System's Mission. Since the University's founding in 1991, APUS has supported student scholarship and successful academic programs. APUS' academic achievements, student-body growth, and institutional milestones are represented in this Richard G. Trefry Archives Exhibit, Academics at APUS: Education, Growth, and Success. The items featured in this exhibit are a small sample of the University's academic awards, catalogs, programs, and student experiences.

Information provided by materials in this exhibit is not current. For the most up-to-date APUS information, please visit the University’s website.

If there are additional documents or information that you would like to contribute to the collections or this exhibit, please reach out to universityarchives@apus.edu.

American Public University System’s Commencement is a special time for APUS. It is a chance for students, faculty, and staff to meet in-person and celebrate their impressive achievements. Commencement is made possible with help from dedicated APUS staff and volunteers. This Richard G. Trefry Archives exhibit chronicles the University’s past commencements, from the first graduation in the summer of 1996 when one student received their degree at the American Military University in Manassas, Virginia to today, celebrating thousands of graduates each year at the Gaylord National Convention Center at National Harbor.

This exhibit displays the growth of American Military University, the creation of American Public University System, and the history of the University’s historic buildings in Charles Town, West Virginia. 

AMU reorganized into American Public Education, Inc. resulting in the establishment of APUS in 2002. The restructuring of AMU and the creation of American Public University transformed the University. The student population was growing and APUS moved headquarters from Manassas, Virginia to Charles Town. The University acquired 19^th century buildings and restored them for modern office use, while preserving those historic properties. The changes are documented in archival papers and photographs, and tell the history of APUS in Charles Town.

Information provided by materials in this exhibit is not current. For the most up-to-date APUS information, please visit the University’s website.