Conquering Switzerland As Austria: A Hoi4 Strategy Guide

Switzerland is a challenging country to play in Hearts of Iron IV due to its small size, limited resources, and position surrounded by major powers. One strategy that players might consider is attempting to invade Austria before the Anschluss, which can be achieved by going non-historic and hoping that Hitler delays the annexation. Additionally, focusing on industry and political branches of the focus tree, as well as building fortifications and increasing the size of the army, can help deter invasions from neighbouring countries.

Build up your industry to fortify your borders and equip your army

Austria is a challenging nation to play in Hearts of Iron IV. With Germany on your border, you have until around 1937-1938 before they attempt to annex you. To prepare for this, you must build up your industry, fortify your borders, and equip your army.

Firstly, focus on the industry branch of the focus tree. Get as many military factories as possible and build up your civilian infrastructure. This will give you the industrial capacity to produce the equipment and resources you need for your army.

Next, work on fortifying your borders, particularly the border with Germany. Construct Land Forts and Anti-Air positions to deter the Germans from attacking. At Fort Level 6 and above, the AI will be unlikely to attack your defensive line.

While building up your industry and fortifications, you should also focus on equipping your army with the weapons and resources they need. Produce a large number of infantry divisions, even if they are weaker divisions. This will make the AI hesitant to attack your lines. Utilize your mountaineers and cavalry, and make use of your 42 fighters to gain air superiority.

Finally, don't forget about your political strategy. Going democratic or communist is ideal, as it will allow you to join a major faction when the Germans invade. If you remain fascist, you can gain manpower by allying with Italy or Japan, though this may be less rewarding.

By following these strategies, you can build up your industry, fortify your borders, and equip your army to defend against the German annexation and establish dominance in Central Europe.

Change ideology to fascism to gain more recruitable manpower

As Switzerland, you can change your ideology to fascism to gain more recruitable manpower. This is done through the Generic National Focus Tree, which Switzerland uses in the game Hearts of Iron IV.

Switzerland starts the game Hearts of Iron IV as a democracy, with elections every four years. The country has a directorial Federal Council in power, making it the only country without an exact person as a leader at the start of the game. Instead, it's governed by a collective head of state of seven individuals.

Switzerland has several political parties, including the Kommunistische Partei der Schweiz (KPS), Fronten Bewegung (FB), Swiss Imperial Confederation, and Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei (FDP).

To gain more recruitable manpower, you can change Switzerland's ideology to fascism. This will give you access to the Generic National Focus Tree, which provides a +7% bonus to recruitable manpower. This change in ideology will also make more extreme conscription laws more freely available.

However, keep in mind that changing Switzerland's ideology will also impact its relations with other countries. As a fascist state, Switzerland will have slightly positive relations with countries that share the same ideology (+10) and more strongly positive relations with countries that share the same ruling party (+20). On the other hand, it will have a slightly negative relationship with all Communist, Democratic, and Non-Aligned countries (-10).

Additionally, changing Switzerland's ideology may also impact its neutrality stance. While Switzerland has a long-standing policy of military neutrality, dating back to the Vienna Congress in 1815, changing to a fascist ideology may lead you to abandon neutrality and actively join the Axis powers. This could be a strategic decision, as it may provide benefits such as increased manpower and industrial capacity. However, it is up to the player to decide whether to maintain Switzerland's historical neutrality or pursue a more aggressive expansionist policy.

Join the Axis to profit off the war

As Austria, you can join the Axis to profit off the war. Here are some tips to help you achieve this:

Early Game

Austria is a small country with limited industry and resources, so it is important to focus on building up your industry and military strength in the early game. Start by researching the Industrial Effort branch of the focus tree to gain more civilian and military factories. You should also focus on producing infantry equipment and training weak infantry divisions to deter potential invaders.

Joining the Axis

To join the Axis, you will need to switch to a fascist government. This can be done by choosing the Political Effort branch of the focus tree and making the necessary decisions to shift towards fascism. Once you have a fascist government, you can join the Axis by improving relations with Germany and requesting to join their faction.

Profiting off the War

As a member of the Axis, you can profit off the war by participating in invasions and gaining victory points. Keep an eye on Germany's focus tree and try to join their wars when they invade neighbouring countries like France. This will allow you to gain victory points and potentially annex new territories. However, be careful not to overextend yourself as you will need to defend your borders and manage your manpower and equipment.

Dealing with Germany

One of the challenges of playing as Austria is the threat of annexation by Germany. To avoid this, you can try to delay their focus tree by justifying wars or creating distractions. Another strategy is to join the Axis yourself and refuse their annexation request. If you are at war with a common enemy, Germany will send you an invite to rejoin the Axis after kicking you out. This will buy you some time, but Germany will still have a war goal against you until February 1940.

Alternative Strategies

If you are finding it difficult to profit off the war as Austria, you can consider alternative strategies such as forming an alliance with Italy or Japan, or attempting to create a new faction of your own. You could also try playing as Switzerland, which has a unique focus tree and the ability to join the Axis or maintain its neutrality. Ultimately, the best strategy will depend on your specific circumstances and playstyle.

Focus on the industry branch of the focus tree to get more military factories

To take Switzerland as Austria in Hearts of Iron IV, it is recommended to go down the fascist path and hope that France goes communist, allowing you to get a +20% fascism event. You can also try to build forts on the border and wait for Austria to lose some manpower before attacking. However, it is important to note that the chances of successfully capturing Austria before the Anschluss are slim, and it may not be worth the time spent.

To prepare for the German invasion as Austria, it is recommended to focus on the industry branch of the focus tree to get as many military factories as possible. This will allow you to build fortifications and equip and field a larger army and air force as a deterrent against invasion. You should also focus on the political branch, either going democratic or communist so you can join a major faction when the Germans invade. Alternatively, remaining fascist can provide you with more manpower, but your options for allies are more limited. In terms of military strategy, creating a lot of weaker infantry divisions can make the AI hesitant to attack your lines. Holding out in the mountains and joining the Allies or Comintern can also speed up your defeat of the Germans.

Go democratic or communist to join a major faction when the Germans invade

Austria is a challenging nation to play in Hearts of Iron IV. The Germans are on your border and will attempt to annex you around 1937-1938, so you should focus on the industry branch of the focus tree to get as many military factories as possible.

Going democratic or communist is ideal so you can join a major faction when the Germans invade. You could also remain fascist and ally with Italy or Japan, though this is less rewarding. You should make a lot of weaker infantry divisions instead of trying to get ideal stats. This tends to make the AI hesitant to attack your lines.

When the Germans attack, you will mainly want to hold out in the mountains. Joining the Allies or Comintern will speed this up. Once you defeat the Germans, your army should be big enough to establish dominance in Central Europe.

Frequently asked questions