Restoring Austria-Hungary: Strategies For Success In Hearts Of Iron Iv

Restoring Austria-Hungary in the grand strategy game Hearts of Iron IV (HoI4) by Paradox Development Studio can be challenging. One way to do this without going to war with Germany is by claiming Transylvania, attacking Romania, and then getting invited to the Axis by Germany. This requires high world tension and at least 30% fascism. However, Germany will eventually demand Sudetenland, and refusing this demand can have consequences.

How to restore Austria-Hungary in Hearts of Iron IV

Attack Romania, claim Transylvania

When playing Hearts of Iron IV, there are several strategies you can employ to restore Austria-Hungary and claim Transylvania. One approach is to first attack Romania, as they are significantly weaker than Austria-Hungary, especially if you have annexed Czechoslovakia. By taking this aggressive stance, you can gain a strategic advantage and strengthen your position in the region.

• Assess Romania's Weaknesses: Before initiating the attack, evaluate Romania's military strength and identify their vulnerabilities. If they have recently been engaged in other conflicts or have weakened forces, it may be an opportune time to strike.
• Annex Czechoslovakia (Optional): If you have not already done so, consider annexing Czechoslovakia. This will provide you with additional resources and territorial advantages when facing Romania. It will also further weaken Romania in comparison, making your attack more feasible.
• Declare War on Romania: Initiate the war by declaring your intentions and mobilizing your military forces. Ensure that you have sufficient troops and equipment to overwhelm the Romanian defenses.
• Focus on Transylvania: During the war, concentrate your efforts on capturing and securing Transylvania. This region holds historical and strategic importance for Hungary, and acquiring it will be a significant step towards restoring Austria-Hungary.
• Employ Tactical Strategies: Utilize your military prowess and employ tactics that exploit Romania's weaknesses. Consider launching surprise attacks, flanking maneuvers, or utilizing your air force to gain an advantage on the battlefield.
• Negotiate or Dictate Terms: As you make advancements in Transylvania, you may have the opportunity to negotiate with Romania. Alternatively, if you achieve a dominant position, you can dictate your terms and demand the cession of Transylvania.
• Secure Transylvania: Once Transylvania is under your control, consolidate your hold on the region. Establish a strong military presence, fortify defenses, and address any resistance or insurgency that may arise.

By following these steps, you can successfully attack Romania and claim Transylvania, which will be a significant step towards restoring Austria-Hungary in Hearts of Iron IV. Remember to adapt your strategies based on the in-game dynamics and the actions of other players or AI-controlled nations.

Annex Czechoslovakia

To restore Austria-Hungary in Hearts of Iron IV, one of the steps is to annex Czechoslovakia. This can be a tricky process as Germany is also seeking to exert influence over the region. Here is a strategy to achieve this:

Firstly, focus on building a spy network in Germany as early as possible. This intelligence will allow you to understand Germany's intentions and act accordingly. To do this, build a spy agency and assign spies to create a network in Germany. Once you have two spies and the necessary network level, perform the "Infiltrate Civilian Administration" operation. This will give you insight into Germany's current focus.

The key to successfully annexing Czechoslovakia is timing your actions with Germany's focus. Specifically, you want to time your actions with Germany's "Demand Sudetenland" or "The Fate of Czechoslovakia" focuses. By skipping a national focus time slot, you can ensure that you complete your focuses ten days before Germany. This gives you a significant advantage and a higher chance of annexing Czechoslovakia.

When Germany starts the "Demand Sudetenland" focus, you can guarantee that you are ten days ahead by skipping a focus earlier in the game and banking the ten days of focus progress. This ensures that you can always stay one step ahead. Additionally, you can manipulate your focus time by not choosing a focus for several days, allowing you to build up progress.

Another important aspect is forming a non-aggression pact with Germany. This will help prevent potential conflicts and buy you time to strengthen your position. Ensure that you are taking protective actions regarding Czechoslovakia when Germany demands the Sudetenland. This combination of intelligence, timing, and diplomacy will greatly increase your chances of successfully annexing Czechoslovakia and restoring Austria-Hungary.

Germany invites you to the Axis

Restoring Austria-Hungary in Hearts of Iron IV can be a challenging task, but Germany inviting you to the Axis can be a crucial step in achieving this goal. Here is a guide on how to best position yourself for this scenario:

Early Game Strategies:

Start by going down the Balanced Budget focus tree to invite the Habsburg Prince. This will allow you to skip the Secret Rearmament and Bled Agreement. Enact "Demand a Referendum," but instead of waiting for Austria to accept, make them disagree and then declare war. This will save time and allow you to build up troops and industry faster. Another early strategy is to build an intelligence agency and research upgrades like Invisible Ink and Suicide Pills. Use spies to keep an eye on Germany and apply diplomatic pressure.

Expanding Your Influence:

Improve your relationship with Czechoslovakia and protect them from any potential threats. This will allow you to annex them and expand your influence in the region. Claim Transylvania and attack Romania, as they are weaker if you've annexed Czechoslovakia. This is a crucial step, as it will likely lead to Germany inviting you to the Axis. You can also try to invade Germany first, taking their cities and annexing them. However, be cautious when dealing with France, as heading directly into the Maginot Line can be dangerous. Consider going through Belgium instead.

Joining the Axis:

When Germany invites you to the Axis, accept the invitation. They will eventually demand Sudetenland, but you can refuse without consequences. Joining the Axis will provide you with additional resources and support for your military efforts. However, be mindful that you may still need to go to war with Germany over Czechoslovakia or other territorial disputes. It is also important to time your attacks on the Axis powers carefully. Joining too early can result in facing their full strength, while joining too late may leave you isolated.

Restoring Austria-Hungary:

As you continue to expand your influence and gain power, focus on your ultimate goal of restoring Austria-Hungary. This may involve opposing German designs on Czechoslovakia and generating claims on lost lands in Yugoslavia, Romania, Poland, and northern Italy. Remember that the Habsburgs in history claimed territories that weren't always part of Austria-Hungary, so be prepared to fulfill those territorial claims as well. With careful planning, strategic alliances, and military might, you can work towards restoring Austria-Hungary to its former glory.

Refuse Sudetenland demand

To refuse the Sudetenland demand in Hearts of Iron IV, there are several strategies that can be employed. Firstly, it is important to note that the outcome of this decision may depend on whether you have the historical focuses turned on or off. With historical focuses on, the AI is more likely to accept the demand, while with historical focuses off, they tend to refuse.

One strategy is to have a strong military presence and ensure your troops are positioned at the Czech border. This show of force may influence the AI to be more amenable to your demands. Additionally, keeping world tension low can be pivotal in getting your demands accepted. If you cause too much tension, the UK and France may guarantee the Czechs, making it harder to refuse the Sudetenland demand.

Another tactic is to save your game before the event popup regarding the Sudetenland demand appears. Then, if the demand is not accepted, you can reload the saved game and try again. Repeating this process a few times may increase the chances of a successful refusal.

It is worth noting that refusing the Sudetenland demand can have significant implications for the stability of Germany and the course of the war. In real-life history, the Sudetenland was heavily fortified by the Czechs, and had the Allies chosen to fight, Germany could have faced considerable challenges.

Raise fascism to 30%

To raise fascism to 30% in Hearts of Iron IV, there are several strategies you can employ. Firstly, you can increase fascist support by hiring a fascist government advisor. This advisor will provide ongoing fascist support, helping you reach the desired 30% threshold.

Another approach is to exploit the game mechanics surrounding ideology gain. Ideology gain has diminishing returns at certain breakpoints, so the more support you have, the slower support ticks up. You can carefully time the selection of certain focuses, such as Militarism and Military Youth, to instantly boost your fascist support by 20%. This can help you skip from 30% to 50% support, which is within the range for a coup and allows you to bypass the slowest period of ideology gain.

Additionally, you can increase fascist support by utilising ministers and national spirits if your nation has a generic focus tree. While the impact may be slow, it will gradually raise your fascist support over time. For example, Joseph Goebbels, who provides 0.10 fascist support per day, can be hired as a minister. However, note that at higher popularity, his effect diminishes, and his daily fascist support becomes negligible.

Furthermore, if you're playing as a nation with low fascism support, such as Britain, appointing a fascist minister can result in relatively rapid growth in fascist popularity. This strategy leverages the dynamic where the lower the popularity of an ideology, the faster it will grow.

By combining these strategies, you can effectively raise fascism to 30% and progress towards restoring Austria-Hungary in Hearts of Iron IV.

Frequently asked questions