I thought that there was a very critical turning point in the game at least from my perspective. Early on, England was forced to retreat out of Norway by Germany. At the same time, Russia had gained a supply center from Austria. England, who was being attacked by France and threatened by the size of Germany, had one of two retreat choices: St. Pete's or Finland.
We all know he chose St. Pete's. That move crippled Russia for the rest of the game, and led directly to Russia's downfall. If England had gone to Finland and subsequently disbanded that unit, Russia would have grown a fleet up in St. Pete's in all likelihood been a very large threat to Germany, and a possible ally of England. I would have retreated to Finland and disbanded, hoping to hold on long enough for help. Again, that is just my opinion. Any others?
This was my first win at Diplomacy. It was fun, and the pace of the game was good. Congratulations to all on a well played game!
Thanks to the GM, good job.