Maximizing Imperial Authority In Austria: Strategies For Success

Increasing imperial authority as Austria in Europa Universalis IV can be challenging, especially after patches that have changed the mechanics of the game. One key strategy is to maintain a high number of princes and land within the Holy Roman Empire (HRE). This can be achieved by declaring wars to liberate provinces and ensure their return to the HRE, especially from outside nations holding unlawful territory. Conquering and adding small nations to the HRE can also increase authority, but this becomes more difficult once the Reformation begins as princes tend to convert to Protestantism. Forcing them to convert back to Catholicism can be a solution, but it may require warfare. Another strategy is to focus on diplomacy, investing in diplomatic ideas to maintain alliances with electors and powerful nations. Additionally, certain in-game missions and decisions can provide temporary boosts to imperial authority.

Ensure there are at least 25 princes and declare war to make them release unlawful territory

To increase Imperial Authority as Austria in EU4, you can work towards ensuring there are at least 25 princes and declaring war to make them release unlawful territory. Here's a strategy to achieve this:

First, focus on increasing the number of princes within the Holy Roman Empire (HRE). Each prince over 25 generates 0.004 IA per month, contributing to your overall Imperial Authority. Aim to have a significant number of princes, as this will help grow your IA over time.

To achieve this, you can send warnings to all princes and actively participate in internal empire politics, especially during the reformation. Make sure to re-up these warnings after any wars to maintain control. Consider allying with Archbishopries, as they are more likely to remain Catholic during the reformation, which can aid in keeping the peace.

Next, understand the mechanics of unlawful territory. If a member state within the HRE is fully annexed by a neighbour, you can issue a "Demand Unlawful Territory" to reclaim that province. However, note that this will result in a relations hit, and the other princes may only grant you one such acceptance due to the negative impact on relations. Additionally, demanding unlawful territory costs 1 IA, which takes a long time to recover, so use this strategy sparingly.

Instead of relying solely on demanding unlawful territory, consider declaring wars with a well-thought-out strategy. Attack nations that are allied with those holding provinces you wish to liberate. Spend diplomatic points to release princes, ensuring that the liberated nations are Catholic, as this will help maintain your Imperial Authority.

Remember that you can only demand one province at a time when dealing with unlawful territory, so choose wisely. Select provinces that will result in a state being released, rather than simply reverting to an existing state.

By combining these strategies, you can work towards increasing your Imperial Authority as Austria in EU4 by ensuring a high number of princes and strategically declaring wars to release unlawful territory.

Demand unlawful territory only if they won't return it

When it comes to increasing Imperial Authority as Austria in EU4, one strategy to consider is demanding unlawful territory, but only under certain conditions. Here's a guide to help you decide when and how to use this tactic:

Understanding Unlawful Territory:

Unlawful territory refers to a situation where a member state within the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) is fully annexed or conquered by another nation. As the Emperor, you have the option to "Demand Unlawful Territory," claiming that territory back into the Empire. This is a delicate manoeuvre, as it can strain your relations with other nations and has specific requirements.

When to Demand Unlawful Territory:

The key consideration is whether the nation you're demanding it from will refuse and if they are a threat to your reign. Demanding unlawful territory costs 1 IA (Imperial Authority), and it takes a long time to recover that loss—over 20 years in some cases. Therefore, it's generally not worth demanding unlawful territory if the nation will return it without a fight, as it can be more beneficial to maintain positive relations. However, if they refuse and you have a valid casus belli, it may be worth enforcing your demand through warfare.

Maximising the Benefits:

To make the most of demanding unlawful territory, ensure you can release a bunch of princes and/or convert someone back to Catholicism. By doing so, you can increase your Imperial Authority and potentially gain more benefits. Additionally, keep in mind that you can only demand one province at a time, and each demand will impact your relations.

Alternative Strategies:

If you're looking for alternative ways to increase Imperial Authority as Austria, consider the following:

• Take Prague in the unification war with Bohemia—the monument grants extra Imperial Authority.
• Elect a new ruler as Emperor to gain a chunk of Imperial Authority.
• Add small nations to the Empire through warfare or diplomacy, ensuring they are Catholic to avoid decreasing your Imperial Authority.
• Complete Austria's unique missions to gain temporary boosts to Imperial Authority.
• Keep imperial provinces under imperial control and squash religious centres.

Attack those allied with provinces you want to liberate

To increase Imperial Authority as Austria in Europa Universalis IV, one strategy is to attack those allied with provinces you want to liberate. Here's a guide on how to execute this strategy effectively:

First, identify the provinces you want to liberate and determine which countries are allied with them. This information will be crucial for your strategic planning. Remember that you need a diplomat to declare war on a country.

When you're ready to initiate conflict, declare war on the allies of the provinces you're targeting. It's important to choose your targets wisely, as declaring war without a valid casus belli will result in negative consequences, including a drop in stability and increased war exhaustion.

During the war, focus on occupying territories and seizing control of provinces. Occupied forts will give you zone control over unfortified land owned by countries that aren't allied with the occupier. You can also transfer control of occupied provinces to your allies in war, helping to ensure they are rewarded for their participation.

Keep in mind that taking provinces from allies of your target can be costly. These provinces will require twice the warscore and generate 50% more aggressive expansion. However, if you can successfully occupy and control these provinces, you will be in a stronger position to negotiate for their liberation.

In the peace deal, make sure to include the liberation of the provinces you targeted as part of the negotiation. This is where your strategic choices and occupied territories come into play. By controlling the provinces you want, you can ensure they are returned to your control or liberated from the influence of your enemies.

By following these steps and focusing on attacking allies of your target provinces, you can increase your Imperial Authority as Austria in Europa Universalis IV. Remember to adapt your strategy based on the dynamic nature of the game and the actions of your opponents.

Keep all HRE members from taking over other members

To keep all Holy Roman Empire (HRE) members from taking over other members, you can employ several strategies:

Firstly, maintain positive relations with the emperor and strive to have at least one cored province within the HRE. This is most effective if done early, as expanding AE will make it harder over time. Having good relations with the emperor may even open up the possibility of becoming the emperor yourself in the future.

Secondly, time your attacks wisely. Avoid declaring war on nations within the HRE; instead, find ways to engage their allies outside the HRE. Alternatively, improve relations with other HRE nations and expand slowly to avoid accruing AE and inviting coalitions against you. Take advantage of moments when the emperor is occupied in other wars or has low manpower.

Additionally, you can ally with Austria, dragging them into your wars while you start campaigns against HRE minors. Remember to core provinces when the emperor is preoccupied to avoid unlawful territory penalties.

Furthermore, you can increase your prestige to reduce AE generation and improve AE degeneration. Employ a diplomat from the Nobility estate to further enhance the pace of AE reduction.

Finally, if you are in a regency due to the ruler's death and an underage heir, you may find that the last reform in the HRE has been enabled, preventing members from attacking each other.

By implementing these strategies, you can effectively deter HRE members from taking over one another.

Add small nations to the empire using the ''Expand the Empire' CB

To increase Imperial Authority as Austria in EU4, you can add small nations to the empire using the Expand the Empire CB. Here's how you can do it:

First, make sure you have passed the necessary reforms to get access to the Expand the Empire CB. This casus belli allows you to force nations to join the Holy Roman Empire. It is important to note that this mechanic may be bugged in certain patches of the game, so it might not always work as intended.

Next, identify small nations that you want to add to the empire. You can either force larger nations to release these small nations as vassals and then integrate them into the empire, or you can add them through warfare or diplomacy. It is beneficial to have these small nations border the Holy Roman Empire, as it makes the process easier.

When using the Expand the Empire CB, you will gain 10 Imperial Authority for each nation added through war or diplomacy. This can be a quick way to boost your Imperial Authority, but it may be costly in terms of warscore. You can also gain Imperial Authority by converting heretic princes to Catholicism and ensuring that no imperial provinces are outside of imperial control.

Additionally, you can create favourable conditions by making sure the empire is officially Catholic, which allows you to enforce religious unity. You can also give max free city status and focus on electors to improve your standing.

Remember that adding provinces to the Holy Roman Empire itself does not grant you Imperial Authority. Instead, you gain a large sum of authority for returning provinces you own to non-existing tags, effectively adding them to the empire. Make sure to convert these provinces before releasing them, and consider surrounding these small nations with your own territory to prevent them from conquering others.

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