The Roman Empire vs. the Han Dynasty? Speculation on this hypothetical clash is one of the hottest topics on Armchair General’s forums. Other subjects generating lots of discussion include the most decisive Napoleonic battle and the future of Afghanistan. The ACG Searchlight illuminates the shadow world of spies and espionage in this week’s forum wrap-up.

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Hot from the Armchair General Frontlines
Most decisive battles of the Napoleonic Era
After the great success of the Most Decisive Battles tournament last month, the tournament debate is rising to a brand-new level, this time in the era of Napoleon. Out of a pre-selection of 75 battles fought between the years 1792 and 1815, only 24 still remain. The bayonets have been fixed to determine which one will be the most decisive. Round 1 has already started and the field of battle is now yours to win or to lose. High time to join the melee!

Roman Empire vs Han Dynasty: Two Ancient Superpowers Collide!
Two terrific armies of the Ancient Age oppose each other in the Warfare Through the Ages forum: Rome vs. the Chinese Han Dynasty. Who would win this imaginative onslaught, East or West? The weapons, cavalry, manpower and even such factors as the numbers of stragglers and desertions of both armies travelling to oppose each other are part of the discussion. Currently, the Romans have a tiny lead. Who knows, maybe you can turn the tide?

Chorus of failure grows ever louder over Afghanistan
Our members in the Current Events forum are pondering the future of Afghanistan. The increasing international resentment against the troops involved in safeguarding the new democratic government there is the subject of some lively debates. It seems that the Taliban still has a lot influence, like a six-headed hydra that grows a new head every time one is cut off. Members point to the Anglo-Afghan wars in the 19th century and the Soviet-Afghan war of the 1980s, and they wonder if this will not be the fate of Western forces today: an ultimate failure …

ACG Searchlight!
When someone mentions the word “spy,” James Bond immediately pops up in many minds. This fictional character, invented by Ian Fleming and franchised to death by Hollywood, is most famously recognized for his numerous action-packed missions, his ultra-modern gadgets that always seem to help him out of a tight spot, and the many beautiful women who are attracted to him like a needle to a magnet. The life of a real spy is far less “romantic” and much more tedious, but a secret agent who is unmasked in a foreign country runs the risk of being deported, imprisoned and even executed. And there are no secret toys to get spies out of this situation!

Espionage has been used through all ages and civilizations. Sun Tzu, the great military theorist, championed the art of deception and subversion in his “Art of War.” In feudal Japan ninjas were used to gather all kinds of useful intelligence. Francis Walsingham is considered to be the spymaster and king of intrigue in Elizabethan England, successfully uncovering numerous plots against the Virgin Queen. During World War I, Mata Hari gained lasting fame for using her charms in her role as double agent, ultimately paying the highest price for it. During the Cold War the use of intelligence, counterintelligence and espionage was greatly sophisticated as the US and the USSR attempted to gain the most influence over the globe. Today, intelligence services around the world focus on the war against terrorism.

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