Forming Austria-Hungary In Eu4: A Comprehensive Guide

how to form austria hungary eu4

In the game Europa Universalis IV, players can attempt to form Austria-Hungary by getting a personal union with Hungary as Austria and then diplomatically annexing them. This can be achieved by starting with a royal marriage to get the same dynasty and then obtaining a mission to force them into a personal union. However, some players argue that Austria-Hungary should not be formable in the game as it was a political compromise that did not exist until later. Additionally, forming Austria-Hungary would be a significant challenge, resulting in a loss of prestige, stability, autonomy, and increased revolt risk.

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Marry into Hungary and claim their throne

Marrying into the Hungarian royal family and claiming their throne is a viable strategy for forming Austria-Hungary. Here's a step-by-step guide to achieving this:

First, you'll need to ensure that you have a royal marriage slot available. If you've already arranged marriages for your children, consider breaking off less important engagements to free up a slot. Once you have a slot open, improve relations with Hungary by sending gifts and improving relations through the diplomacy screen. This will increase the likelihood of them accepting your marriage proposal.

When you have sufficient relations, propose a royal marriage to Hungary. If they accept, you'll be one step closer to your goal. Ensure that your heir is not betrothed to anyone else, as you'll want him to marry the Hungarian princess. Improve your relations further, and once the princess is of age, propose a marriage between your heir and the Hungarian princess. Accept any alliances or other demands they may have as part of the marriage agreement.

After the marriage has taken place, you'll need to wait for the Hungarian monarch to die. If your daughter-in-law is not the current heir, you may need to fabricate a claim on the Hungarian throne. You can do this through the diplomacy screen by selecting the 'Fabricate Claims' option. It may take some time, but eventually, you should be able to successfully fabricate a claim.

Once you have a fabricated claim, you can press it by going to the 'Casus Belli' screen and selecting the appropriate option. This will allow you to declare war on Hungary with a strong claim. If you win the war, you will install your dynasty on the Hungarian throne, and the two nations will be in a union, forming Austria-Hungary. Ensure that you have a strong army and allies to support you in this war, as you will be facing the full might of Hungary and potentially their allies.

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Send Royal Marriages to Bohemia and Hungary

To form Austria-Hungary in EU4, you can use royal marriages to Bohemia and Hungary to get your dynasty on their thrones. You can then claim their thrones and enforce a personal union through war. This strategy is possible as Austria has missions that give a personal union casus belli on Bohemia and Hungary. Additionally, Hungary gets Habsburgs even without a royal marriage.

To increase your chances of inheriting Burgundian lands, you can also royal marry them, improving your odds from 10% to 80%. However, declaring war to claim these lands will result in a -1 stability hit.

It is important to note that forming Austria-Hungary was a last-ditch measure to save the empire, and doing so in the game will result in significant losses of prestige, stability, autonomy, and increased revolt risk.

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Get a union over Hungary, then integrate them

To form Austria-Hungary in Europa Universalis IV, you must first get a union over Hungary and then integrate them. This can be achieved through several methods, each with its own unique requirements and challenges.

One approach is to play as Austria and take advantage of the game's start in 1444. At this time, it is possible to immediately marry into Hungary, claim their throne, and enforce a personal union (PU) through war. This is due to Hungary's starting ruler having poor legitimacy and low prestige, making it an opportune time to establish a union.

Another strategy involves waiting for a specific event to occur in the game. After the year 1500, an event may trigger that gives you the ability to form a union with Hungary. However, this event is random and may not occur in every playthrough. Additionally, it is important to note that your relationship with Hungary can impact the likelihood of this event occurring. Negative relations make it less likely, but not impossible, to receive the event.

Alternatively, you can attempt to get a union over Hungary through a mission. Austria can receive missions for Hungary, Bohemia, and Burgundy, which provide the "restore PU" CB on the respective nation. Completing these missions allows you to enforce the union through war. To increase your chances of receiving the Hungary mission, you must be bigger than Hungary and neighbour them. Progressing through as many missions as possible will also improve your odds of getting the desired mission sooner.

Once you have established a union with Hungary, you can work towards integrating them. This process may involve diplomatic annexation, as mentioned by one player, or it could require additional wars, as forming Austria-Hungary may necessitate fighting several wars with the Ottomans.

It is worth noting that some players have expressed their desire for a more explicit decision or mechanic to form the Austro-Hungarian empire, as it is a notable aspect of European history. However, others have argued that the concept of "Austria-Hungary" did not exist until a later compromise, and its inclusion in the game may not be historically accurate.

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Annex Hungary diplomatically

To annex Hungary diplomatically, you must play as Austria and get a personal union with Hungary. This can be done by marrying into the Hungarian royal family, claiming their throne, and enforcing a union through war. Alternatively, you can wait until you have been in a union with Hungary for over 50 years and then attempt to integrate them, although this will take 30 years and reduce your diplomatic points. To speed up the process, you can keep your prestige and stability very high and improve your diplomatic reputation. You can also use various diplomatic policies and advisors to boost your diplomatic skills.

Another strategy is to start as Austria in 1444 and immediately marry into the Hungarian royal family. You can then claim their throne and enforce a personal union through war, as Hungary's starting ruler has poor legitimacy and low prestige. This will allow you to form Austria-Hungary, although it is important to note that this is not a historically accurate representation as Austria-Hungary was a political compromise that resulted from a rise in Hungarian nationalism.

Additionally, you can try to get Hungary and Austria to have only five provinces or fewer, and then form Austria-Hungary under a ruler with more prestige. This will also work if both countries are controlled by AI, as they will likely be weakened by wars with surrounding powers. However, it is important to note that some players believe that forming Austria-Hungary would make the game too easy, as Austria is already a strong country in the hands of a player.

Overall, there are several strategies you can use to annex Hungary diplomatically and form Austria-Hungary. However, it is important to consider the historical accuracy and balance of the game when doing so.

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Fight wars with the Ottomans

While the formation of Austria-Hungary is not historically accurate in the context of the game, players can still form the nation by going to war with the Ottomans. Here are some strategies to help you fight wars with the Ottomans in Europa Universalis IV (EU4) and work towards forming Austria-Hungary:

Pre-emptive Strikes and Bullying

As a player, you should aim to keep other nations in check and crippled as much as possible. Keep an eye on your rivals and don't let them become more powerful or expand their influence. Warn them, guarantee smaller nations, and fight them to break them up financially. Bully everyone and don't let anyone get more powerful than they started in 1444.

Timing and Military Technology

Time your attacks wisely. Attack the Austrians when they are engaged in other wars or dealing with internal struggles. Additionally, ensure that your military technology is up to date before initiating a conflict. For eastern nations, it is recommended to wait until Military Technology 15 is unlocked before engaging in combat with the Ottomans, and ideally, you should wait until Technology 19 if you have primarily western allies.

Alliances and Troop Numbers

Form alliances with nations that rival Austria or pose a threat to them. Aim for a strong alliance with European powers. As the Ottomans, you should aim for a troop count of 50,000 in 1570, and consider doubling the size of your armies. Get some European allies, such as those who rival Austria, and lower autonomy where possible. However, be cautious when choosing allies, as certain nations, like Muscovy/Russia, may accumulate huge debts and refuse to aid you in wars.

Defensive Strategies and Terrain Advantages

When facing a stronger opponent, focus on defensive strategies. Use light ships to prolong combat and wait for reinforcements. Avoid fighting in forts with bad terrain, and instead, lure your enemies into your territory to siege your forts. Split your armies into smaller stacks to avoid attrition and reinforce them during battles. Avoid death stacking your entire army in unfavorable positions.

Coalition Building

After the siege of Vienna in 1683, the Habsburgs assembled a large coalition of European powers known as the Holy League to fight the Ottomans. Consider forming similar coalitions to strengthen your position against the Ottomans.

By following these strategies and successfully engaging in wars with the Ottomans, you can work towards forming Austria-Hungary in EU4, despite its historical inaccuracies.

Frequently asked questions

As Austria, get a union over Hungary and diplomatically annex them. You can do this by starting with a Royal Marriage with Hungary, which will allow you to claim their throne and enforce a personal union through war.

You can still form Austria-Hungary as any other country. Get a personal union with Hungary, diplomatically annex them, and then do the same with Bohemia.

Yes, if both Austria and Hungary have only 5 provinces or fewer, they can form Austria-Hungary under a ruler who has more prestige.

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