I just realized that I hadn't submitted any ESG to this game. So now a half a year later I'll try to recall what happened during the game. Please forgive me if my memory fails me and I'm incorrect on any of this.

From Italy's Point of view:

1901:

I made an agreement with Russia (DaveE) to take out Austria. France approached me with an agreement to DMZ the Med for three years. This worked well with my plan of an Austrian invasion. The key move this year was how I negotiated with Austria. At first asked him if he would give his permission to move my army in Venice into Tyrolia to head towards Warsaw. He refused which is what I anticipated and wanted. So I thanked him for his time and said that I would look into "alternative plans." Then I ordered that move anyway. I figured that based on what I had said he wouldn't expect my move and move his army in Vienna to bounce me in Tyrolia. It worked and with Russia's help I captured Trieste in the fall of that year.

Another event that took place in this year Involved Turkey and Austria. Turkey approached me offering to support me into Greece. I didn't trust him so I said yes but I ordered my fleet into Tunis instead to get the for sure SC. I'm glad I did because he had also made the same offer to Austria and we would of bounce had I trusted him. This early bit of treachery on Turkey's part helped to make him the next target of the Russian/Italy alliance.

1902:

During this year I helped my Russian Ally capture Vienna and Budapest. This left Austria with only one sc; Greece. He disbanded his navy near Greece and kept his army in Bohemia which was a very unexpected move on his part.

Also during this year I made my first attack on Turkey in which I knocked his army out of Serbia.

1903:

My ally and I offered Austria that we would support him into Munich and keep him there the rest of the game so that he would get a survival on his statistics and not an elimination. He refused and in the Fall of this year he attacked me in Tyrolia with German support as one final punch to his enemy. I don't blame him because I was pretty ruthless towards Austria.

As for the war with Turkey I took Greece and got a fleet all the way to the Turkish coast.

Also during the fall of this year France entered North Africa with a fleet. This didn't violate our DMZ but it made his intentions clear: Our Treaty was over!

1904:

My Fleets started to engage the French fleets in the Med and they were able to hold onto Tunis against a French Assault.

Russia and I finished off the Turks and I started moving north towards Germany with whom my Ally had already started fighting a couple turns before. I took Munich and my Ally took Kiev and Berlin. France also Back-stabbed Germany his year and this cause the Germans to be down to a single unit.

1905:

On this final year I had France approach me and ask if I would attack Russia with him. This lead to a game changing decision. I had to think long and hard about this decision: These were the three questions that were going through my head during this decision:

1: Is Russia going to stab me for the solo??? I though that there was a possibility of this but Russia had shown that he was a very honest player the whole game so I didn't think the odds of this were very high.

2: Is France just trying to turn me against my ally??? I thought that this is what was happening likely since he would have love to see me and Russia fighting.

3: If I help France will he stab me like he did Germany? After the stab of Germany by France I had a very low opinion of him since he had betrayed his ally right when his ally needed him the most.

I ended up sticking with Russia because I felt that the odds of a Russian Stab were lower then the odds of a possibly French stab in the future. Plus Russia was so powerful I didn't think that France and Me could have beaten him anyway. So decided to stay with my ally and hope for the best.

I ask my ally if I could put in a request in the for a 2-way draw at the end of 1905 since the French, seeing that victory was impossible since they were being attacked by two powers, would just surrender now instead of drawing the game out. Well the vote never got a chance to be passed. Russia did stab me and won solo!

I guess you could say that I made the wrong decision at the end of the game. Personally I still think I made the right decision because I had a good chance at a 2-way draw and should I be stabbed, my ally would win which ended up happening and is something he definitely deserved. He played really well and I'm glad for him that he got the solo.

In short: This was an awesome game and I had tons of fun!

I want to thank Mike for GMing this game and wish everyone involved this game best of luck in their future Diplomacy adventures.

P.S. I just looked back for a final spell-check and realized how much I wrote! This was supposed to be an End-Game-Statement but it turn out more like a End-Game-History of Italy. I apologize for my long windedness. ops: