Austria's Foreign Relations: Impact On The Referendum Outcome

In the grand strategy game Hearts of Iron IV by Paradox Development Studio, Austria's relations can affect the outcome of a referendum. Players have reported that improving relations with Austria and completing the Reintegrate the Railroads focus increases the chances of a successful referendum. However, it is not a guarantee, and players may need to reload their saves multiple times or resort to other strategies to achieve the desired outcome.

Improving relations with Austria

However, it is important to note that even with strong relations and completed focus trees, the outcome of the referendum is not guaranteed and may still be subject to RNG (Random Number Generator). Reloading saves may not always change the outcome, as the RNG is often rolled at the start of the game or when the focus is completed. To improve chances, it is recommended to try changing the timing of the focus completion or utilizing spies for diplomatic pressure.

Furthermore, having a large military presence can also influence Austria's decision, as they may perceive a greater threat and be more inclined to accept the referendum. This can be achieved by moving troops to the border or creating a high number of divisions, even if they are weak.

Overall, a combination of strong relations, completed focus trees, diplomatic pressure, and military presence can increase the chances of a successful referendum with Austria.

Reintegrate the railroads focus

Completing the "Reintegrate the Railroads" National Focus is one of the two factors that affect Austria's decision to accept the referendum. The other factor is Austria's opinion of Hungary.

By default, Austria has a ~70% chance of accepting the referendum (with an ~80% chance they'll even let the vote take place). If either you reintegrate the railroads or Austria's opinion of Hungary is 75 or above, the chance of them accepting rises to ~80%. If you do both, there's a ~95% chance Austria will accept.

The referendum is a two-stage event. First, there will be a decision on whether the referendum will be held. As long as Austria is still non-aligned, the chances are straight 80:20 pro-referendum. If you hit the 20% chance and there is no referendum, the railroad focus and your relations won't matter at all.

The second stage is the referendum itself. You can boost your chances by improving relations and doing the Bled Agreement focus. If you do both the relations and the railroad focus, the chances for success on the referendum are 95%.

Diplomatic pressure via an agency

While improving relations with Austria and completing the "Reintegrate the Railroads" focus are the two most important factors in influencing the outcome of the referendum, there are other ways to sway the vote in your favour. One way is to use diplomatic pressure via an agency. Sending a spy on a diplomatic pressure mission can help improve your chances of a successful referendum. Additionally, improving relations above 80% and completing the "Reintegrate the Railroads" focus gives you a 95% chance of a successful referendum.

It is important to note that the outcome of the referendum is not solely dependent on your actions. There is an element of randomness involved, and the outcome may be predetermined at the start of the game. Reloading a save file will not change the outcome of the referendum, as the random number seed used to generate the outcome remains the same. However, changing the day the focus finishes or hacking the save file to alter the seed number can provide a potential solution.

Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that even if the referendum is rejected, you can still achieve your goals through other means. Declaring war on Austria will remove the Treaty of Trianon, providing an alternative path to achieving your objectives.

Restarting the game

However, there are several strategies that can be employed to increase the chances of Austria accepting the referendum. Firstly, improving relations with Austria is crucial. Players should aim for relations of 75 or higher for the best chances of success. Completing the "Reintegrate the Railroads" focus is also beneficial, as it makes Austria and Czechoslovakia more likely to agree to other focuses. Using spies for diplomatic pressure and integrating the railroads focus can also help.

Additionally, some players have suggested manipulating the game mechanics by changing the day the focus finishes. This can be done by cancelling the national focus if there are more than 10 days of progress and then selecting it again so that it ends on a different day, or by hacking the save file and changing the seed number.

It is worth noting that even with these strategies, there is still a chance that Austria will refuse the referendum. In such cases, players can choose to invade Austria or try other strategies to achieve their desired outcome.

Invading Austria

In the early hours of March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. The previous day, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg had resigned under pressure from Hitler, who had threatened to invade Austria if a referendum on the country's sovereignty went ahead.

Hitler had been determined to unite Austria and Germany to form a "Greater Germany" since coming to power in 1933. The idea of Anschluss (meaning "joining" or "connection" in German) had been around since the unification of Germany in 1871, which excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire.

Hitler's plan was for his appointee, Arthur Seyss-Inquart, to call for German troops to rush to Austria's aid, restoring order and giving the invasion an air of legitimacy. However, the Austrian government had already ordered the Austrian Bundesheer not to resist. As such, German troops crossed the border unopposed.

Hitler himself rode in a car across the border at his birthplace, Braunau am Inn, with a 4,000-man bodyguard. In the evening, he arrived in Linz to an enthusiastic welcome from 250,000 Austrians. The next day, Seyss-Inquart announced the abrogation of Article 88 of the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which prohibited the unification of Austria and Germany, and approved the replacement of the Austrian states with Reichsgaue.

Hitler's journey through Austria became a triumphal tour, culminating in Vienna on March 15, when around 200,000 cheering German Austrians gathered in Heldenplatz to hear him declare the completion of the annexation of Austria to form a Greater German Reich.

The seizure of Austria demonstrated Hitler's aggressive territorial ambitions, and the failure of Britain and France to take action against him for violating the Versailles Treaty emboldened him toward further aggression.

Frequently asked questions