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Check Out This Hardcore American War-Era Board Game

As the US scaled up their military presence in Vietnam during the mid-1960s, anti-American propaganda followed suit throughout communist nations in Asia. While much of this was manifested in well-know propaganda posters, the scorn sometimes took on other forms. Like board games.


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This Chinese board game, entitled "Bury the American imperialists in the boundless ocean of the people's war," was likely published between 1965 and 1970 and is won by the player who "destroys the American imperialists" first by reaching number 41.

The board is chock-full of strong rhetoric and is headlined by a quotation from Mao: "People of the whole world get united, defeat the American invaders and their bunch of lackeys! The people of the whole world will have courage, they dare to fight, they don't fear difficulties, no sooner has one fallen than another steps into the breach, that way the whole world will definitely belong to the people. All the demons will be perished completely."

You can view a larger version of the game here.

According to Chineseposters.net, the rules of the game are on the right and left:

1. Two to four people can participate in this game.

2. Before you get on everyone must take a playing piece in their hand. Red first, yellow second, blue third and green fourth, start according to this sequence.

3. When you begin everybody starts from the starting point, take turns in spinning [or throwing the dice], for example if you spin [or throw] a four then advance four steps.

4. The one who reaches the endpoint first, is the one who destroys the American imperialists first.

The texts in the picture are:

3. You blew up the enemy, proceed to number seven.
5. A tunnel warfare is in progress, proceed to number eight.
12. You spotted enemy activities, wait one turn.
14. A wasp war is in progress, proceed to number 16.
17. The enemy tumbled into a pitfall, take one more turn.
20. The enemy released a poisonous gas, return to number 16.
22. A mine warfare is in progress, take one more turn.
23. You relentlessly beat the American imperialists, proceed to number 26.
27. You escorted the prisoners of war, take one more turn.
30. You blew up an enemy ammunition depot, take one more turn.
33. An enemy bombing, return to 29.
34. You relentlessly hit American machines, proceed to number 38.
36. You smashed enemy airplanes, take one more turn.
39. Get the American imperialists out of here, proceed to the endpoint.

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