A good clear guide for how to succesfully form Austria-Hungary and some nice tips for beginners. No mods however the Death or Dishonor DLC is required also this is the most enjoyable way of playing (Austria) Hungary in my opinion so let’s get into it 🙂
 
 

Before starting

• Preferably turn off historical AI
• Read everything behind the “-” very carefully before doing anything in that chapter of the guide
• Do not train any troops yet
• Build 4 civ factories
• Gather all your troops, get the best general and draw a border around the border of Austria
• Gather all your planes and asign them above the austrian airspace and their missions obviously
• Choose some nice techs like always do the research bonus tech and industry tech at the start
• Do not accept any faction requests or volunteers through out the whole game only when said so in the guide
• Do not forget to spend your command power on traits for your generals
• Start the focus: Balanced Budget

 
 
 

Early Game

After you have done the Balanced Budget focus then start to do the following things and this will tell you what to do before you do the Restoration of Austria-Hungary focus:
 
 
We are gonna peacefully annex 2 countries: Austria and Czechoslovakia. Why? Well because
 
they were orignally part of our empire. Both countries will provide us with free troops and loads of resources and we get heavy forts in the north-west of our country which is very strategically against Germany. On top of that, both countries will provide us with more factories making us overall stronger. We need to protect the citizens of these countries into the upcoming mighty kingdom of Hungary. We are gonna start with Austria. Today Austria, tomorrow the world.
 
 
Pick the following Laws and Advisors in this order:
 
 

• Silent Workhorse
• Wait until you are 25 days before finishing Elect a king and then choose the Facist Demagogue
• Save up your points
• Spend 10 political power on improving relations with Austria at the moment when you are doing the Demand a Referendum focus (to increase the chance of annexation)
• Military Theorist
• Save up your points

 
– Change your Hungarian divisions and all your horse troops into austrian divisions as soon as you have annexed Austria
 
 
– Add Recon to your infantry devisions as soon as you have 10 army tradition.
 
 
– Restart or go to your last save file when Austria denies your request at the Demand a Referendum focus
 
 
Follow the following focusses after you done the Balanced Budget focus:
 
 

• Strengthen the Monarchists
• Elect a King
• Invite the Habsburg Prince
• Demand a Referendum (if they deny then restart or go to a previous save file)
• Restoration of Austria-Hungary

 
 
 

Mid Game

After you have done the Restoration of Austria-Hungary focus then start to do the following things and this will tell you what to do before you start the war against Yugoslavia:
 
 
Okay we now want to fully annex Czechoslovakia so put your full army on the border of Czechoslovakia for the treat bonus chance to annex. If you weren’t be able to fully annex it or they became a puppet then too bad, you need to restart. If you succeeded then congrats. After that do the Claim Transylvania focus. Be sure that they will deny the request for the most optimal situation. It is fine otherwise tho however it will be more tough as you will receive a whopping 50% claim bonus speed which you gotta use for Yugoslavia.
 
 
Choose the “They went too far this time.” option. Right after that claim a province from Yugoslavia. Right after, you will get another event called Balkan Crisis. Ask for mediation and choose Germany. If this did not work then ask for another Mediaton. I have no idea why but sometimes I get the event twice so if you are lucky you do it twice and get some extra bonus otherwise just chicken out at the second one. Station your troops on the border of Yugoslavia and wait until your claim is done then attack ASAP. After you attacked you need to take some PP Laws and Advisors.
 
 
Pick the following Laws and Advisors in this order:
 
 

• Open Up Political Discourse decision
• Change to facism through decisions once you get to 51% facism
• Save up pp until you declare war with Yugoslavia
• Extensive Conscription
• War Economy
• Industrial Concern
• Claim a province on Italy if they are not allied with Germany yet

 
– Change your new czechoslovakian divisions and all your horse troops into austrian divisions once again as soon as you have annexed Czechoslavakia
 
 
– Restart or go to a previous save file when Czechoslovakia denies your request or becomes a puppet at the Protect Czechoslovakia focus
 
 
– Restart or go to a previous save file when Romania accepts your request at the Claim Transylvania focus for the most optimal situation
 
 
-Preferably not but if war breaks out between you and Romania then so be it. You can get some juicy oil fields. Plus if you received a part of their land then their troops get stuck so it will be an easy win. However this increases world tention.
 
 
– Keep Germany’s focuses in check. If they got a focus which demands land you have got then join their faction for a limited time period
 
 
– Keep your manpower in check
 
 
After you won the war against Yugoslavia which shouldn’t be too difficult make a claim on Poland if they took the right focus to start their own faction. Another route you might wanna take but it is a lot harder is that you will take the claimed lands and puppet the rest of Italy if they are no allies with Germany yet. Before you make the claim join Germany’s faction for a limited time period if you haven’t already. If you got the Walking the Tiger DLC then you can take the Austria-Hungary decision which lets you claim the territory of Italy even quicker! Anyway congrats with your new territory! Don’t forget: now you got access to the sea.
 
 
Follow the following focusses after you done the Restoration of Austria-Hungary focus:
 
 

• Protect Czechoslovakia (if they deny then restart or go to a previous save file)
• Claim Transylvania (restart when they accept)
• Theoretical Air Efforts (if possible)
• Army Maneuvers (if possible)
• Follow the industrial/Army tree

 
– Do not do the Secret Rearmament focus, you will automatically surpass this one when you start your first war
 
 
– You may want to create a faction with Bulgaria if you do not wanna join the Axis
 
 
 

Mid-Late Game

WIP
 
 

 
 
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