Wargames in the education on EU defence policy: Teaching strategic cultures, decision-making and instruments

Wargames are frequently used in military education as well as in research on tactical and strategic decision-making, in particular in the US. The use of wargaming exercises in the education of students on strategic decision-making in the EU’s security and defence policy has not been explored in depth. While simulations of EU policy processes are a widespread teaching method, wargaming exercises differ from traditional simulations with regards to the scenarios, the tactical and strategic choices, and the decision-making factors that students are confronted with. This paper discusses the advantages and limitations of using wargames in the education on EU’s security and defence policy. It explains how the method can be applied to teach students about strategic cultures of EU member states, decision-making dynamics in the Council, and the Common Security and Defence Policy instruments and their limitations. In addition to literature on simulation games and wargaming exercises, the analysis is based on experiences with an advanced university course on the EU’s security and defence policy.