Great War! Help!

[IGGEL]

So, Germany late 70's. France, after being beaten to a pulp in two wars with me decided they want Alsace-Lorraine back. Russia had always begrudgingly helped out in my French wars by steamrolling Austria but they are now no longer allied with me and instead with UK.
Good guys:

• Germany (me): large military, decent navy, good techs.
• USA: decent military, busy with rebels.
• Ottomans: decent military (50K), can harass Austria, a lot of the Sahara.
• Persia: Civilized, small military (18K), moral support.
• Egypt: Cannon fodder.
• Portugal: Hopefully a good navy.
• Belgium: Great strategic position, most of the battles in previous wars took place here.
• Switzerland: Cannon fodder.
• Denmark: decent army (42K), some African holdings

Bad guys

• France: 100K troops in France many more in other places, large navy but can't ship troops anywhere, large mobilization, good techs
• Austria: large military, good mobilization, good techs
• UK: Oh God. I'm hoping they can't ship troops anywhere, that they don't steamroll Persia with their Injuns, and that they don't call Russia.
• Netherlands: Mainly just for distracting me
• Sweden: Will be distracted by Denmark, can be blockaded into oblivion if UK doesn't help out
• Brazil: lol.

Pictures
-Europe
http://imgur.com/a/C0l20#0
-Africa (not much is happening on the other half)
http://imgur.com/a/C0l20#1
-NA
http://imgur.com/a/C0l20#2
-India
http://imgur.com/a/C0l20#3
-Diplomacy
http://imgur.com/a/C0l20#4
-Diplomacy- America
http://imgur.com/a/C0l20#5
-War Screen
http://imgur.com/a/C0l20#6
What should I do?

[marnues]

Ignore the UK and anything not on the continent, it's your job to handle France and Austria. My method has usually been to pick one and throw all your regulars at them. Fight the good fight, bring in any conscripts as necessary. Use the rest of the mobilization pool to slow down the other one until you're ready to turn your regulars against them. If you have a few regulars in Africa, keep them safe because the British will probably march troops up from S Africa. Most likely you won't have a prayer in the water with both the UK and France on the other side, so don't bother trying. Your allies won't help much with the possible exception of the USA holding Canada.

[paulthebug]

Seconded.

I suggest dealing with France first, mainly because of the topography. Let's Austria takes some attrition.
I think UK will call in Russia for Great War, is that right?
For war objectives, I suggest dismantle Austria for strategic purpose. France will continue to want A-L back in the future. You will be dealing with France and Russia in the future, without Austria to worry about.

[IGGEL]

Yes. I do plan on dismantling Austria, but should Russia join the war it would be game over. They have very good military tech with max tactics. I have a marine army in Danzig, should I send them to Sweden?

[paulthebug]

Yes. I do plan on dismantling Austria, but should Russia join the war it would be game over. They have very good military tech with max tactics. I have a marine army in Danzig, should I send them to Sweden?

Don't border, let them eat cake! Concentration of force is very important, otherwise you will be eaten alive piece meal.
Try as much as possible to utilize the defence benefit of machine gun, by having pure cavalry corp with speed general.

[IGGEL]

Right, so: Have professional army go after France with conscripts supporting and holding of Austria, rush cavalry to ensure I'm on the defensive, converge for battles.

I'm going in

[marnues]

Keep us updated!

[paulthebug]

Right, so: Have professional army go after France with conscripts supporting and holding of Austria, rush cavalry to ensure I'm on the defensive, converge for battles.

I'm going in

Good luck!

[RedRalphWiggum]

My strategy would be to hold the line against France wherever your forsts allow it, annihilate Austria and then go on the offensive against France. Bear in mind though that I can't see those screenshots.

[calvinhobbeslik]

It looks like the USA will get owned by the UK's Canadian troops...unless they have an epic mobilisation pool.

[Beagá]

Use and abuse bait tactics versus both France and Austria. It´s 1876 so defense still rules. Let them come to you.

However, for all the dumb AI the UK has, it will be trouble this time. It will steamroll Persia and Ottomans with stacks from India and then send armies versus you via Austria. But yes, keep posting updates - it will be good to sort issues with the AI, I think even Podcat would be interested.

BTW why US is always being swamped by rebels in so many games?

[calvinhobbeslik]

If the Brits don't have MA through Kalat, they can't touch Persia...even if they do, the AI often just sits in India.

[Beagá]

Well in my great war with Konrad´s VRRP mod, the US did manage to handle the UK on their front, at least.

If there are too many fronts, indeed the AI can break apart. That was a problem since HOI 2 - if somehow you got Turkey with Germany, neither UK or the soviets handled it. And if there is a country with many fronts in this game, is the UK... It´s tough to hande, really - in Vicky 1 the brits did maritime invasions, only to be surrounded and destroyed.

[TheMcD]

Well, I have a similar problem, but I believe I'm beyond help. Same scenario - Germany, 70s, France wants Elsass-Lothringen back, Austria joins in. One key difference: Russia is in the war on France's side as well. I think at this point I might as well just give the game up, because there's no way I'm getting out of that. Either that, or I have to take the Great War surrender penalties up my rear hard. Rock and a hard place, indeed.

[RedRalphWiggum]

I find when you play as Prussia/NGF/Germany, it's impossible to overestimate the number of brigades you should build. there is always, and I mean always a chance you will end up being attacked from 3 if not 4 directions. The amount of times I have thought I was safe as Germany, only to find out I was anything but.

[TheMcD]

I find when you play as Prussia/NGF/Germany, it's impossible to overestimate the number of brigades you should build. there is always, and I mean always a chance you will end up being attacked from 3 if not 4 directions. The amount of times I have thought I was safe as Germany, only to find out I was anything but.

That's very true. I somehow managed to skirt by the war by maintaining high relations with Russia and keeping my mobilized troops out as number padders while I was building up my main army to keep the cold war alive. I now have 300+ brigades plus 250 brigades I could mobilize, outstripping everybody except Great Britain while being ahead in military tech, and I still don't feel safe at all. EU3 never brought me this feeling of imminent dread, and it's frightening as much as it is exciting.

[IGGEL]

So far: Austrian front doing well, Switzerland is swamped, Belgium is awaiting liberation (no occupations yet), UK hasn't done anything, the Turks and Persians aren't doing much. The war score is -32% (in my favor)

btw, what's a good tariff rate? I usually have it at 5-10% and for the war it's around 50%.

[Beagá]

Bad idea, if you have to import many goods.

Check out whe income and expenses of your POPs. If they are losing cash, it will eventually become a catastrophe, with mass unemployment, demotion, militancy and migration... To sum it up: it won´t be pretty.

[IGGEL]

Switzerland has capitulated, Austria is no longer a threat, France is all up in mah Africa, my fleet was costing too much to be out of port so I docked it, the US is doing very well in Canada, and the western front is still anyone's game. Also the Swedes are neutered; they have Jacobins hanging out around the tip and some Norwegian rebels too, the Danes can mop up.

Pictures (I'll just link the album)
http://imgur.com/a/x9879#0

[TheMcD]

Switzerland has capitulated, Austria is no longer a threat, France is all up in mah Africa, my fleet was costing too much to be out of port so I docked it, the US is doing very well in Canada, and the western front is still anyone's game. Also the Swedes are neutered; they have Jacobins hanging out around the tip and some Norwegian rebels too, the Danes can mop up.

Pictures (I'll just link the album)
http://imgur.com/a/x9879#0

How many brigades did you have at the beginning of the war? Somehow, it seems I had a very similar setup to yours in terms of time and enemies, but I just ended up getting SWAMPED by 400K+ French soldiers, not to mention what Austria added to it. Maybe I just got really unlucky and caught them after years of buildup.