• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
Just got caught up and I see that quite a bit has happened since I was away. German California, the break up of the Austrian Empire, etc.

I think that the decision to support Hungary is a good one as an independent Hungary will forever relegate Austria to second rate status and end any threat they may pose to Germany's aims.

As to your North American adventures- as long as the Americans have not given up on the idea of Manifest Destiny, you'll be in for a fight eventually.
 
To All: Sorry for the lack of an update. As some of you will know I have been states side the past two weeks (and will remain so until Friday) so haven't had the files necessary to write an update. I promise there will be one on Sunday... it would be Saturday, but I will explain myself in a second. Just everyone PLEASE READ my reply to Stevcho. Also do come and look at this. Thanks :)

Enewald: If you take a look at the map of Hungary before the Treaty of Trianon (1919) you will see that it is massive, taking in Slovakia, Transylvania (hence Hungary's claim on this area from Romania during the Treaty of Vienna during WW2) and Croatia as well as Hungary itself. This was the area the Austrians allotted to Hungary. Its a lot of land, yes, but it is hardly the rich provinces of Central Austria or Northern Italy. The only piece of land that was historically in the 'sphere of Hungary' is Croatia, which gets a separate revolution event if the Hungarian Revolution is a success.

demokratickid: Well obviously... Slovakia is not part of Hungary anymore. But at this point, they are Allies of the Hungarian Revolution, and it is going to be very frustrating for the Hungarians to have to constantly be reeling in their allies when they are trying to win a war that they are already losing.

comagoosie: Austria's professional military is only very small at the start of the game. It starts at 12 divisions, and I think it had only risen to about 20 when the revolution started. Four of them defected to Hungary band a great number are still on the German border, so I can't imagine they have many troops fighting in Hungary to make an all out push.

Irencius, Enewald: However much talk you make about whether it was right or not for military reasons doesn't really matter. Beaten up by the British or not, I am more than confident that I can always defeat France whatever the circumstances... now I have myself organized. The actual in-game glory of having those two at war with each other is that neither will be able to fight me at the same time. That'll keep them off my back long enough to deal with Austria.

Kampf_Machen: I'd actually give back Switzerland her lost provinces. This is VIP, so Switzerland has three separate cultures, but they are all Swiss (so Swiss German, Swiss French and Swiss Italian... oh and Romance). And I don't want Non-nationals where they aren't needed, so thank you, but no thank you.

Ahura Mazda: It is great news to hear that this has been an inspiration for someone for something. Unfortunately the link is broken, but I'd love to come and have a look. See, I am trying to learn Swedish... slowly, and this might help me slowly get the hang of it. As long as there are pictures... ;)

Stevcho (EVERYONE READ THIS): Firstly, great to have you on board. Secondly, well, you have brought up some important truths that I have been ignoring for the past few months. I am not so sure about my style at the start... I didn't like the structure. I prefer the true history-book style, like the Puerto Rico update, my personal favorite. I have not been doing enough with my updates lately. I don't spend the time or effort needed to bring that strong rhetoric forward in my updates. Right now I seem more to be just writing down exactly what I see on the screen onto word. I isn't nearly as good. I tried more in the Hungarian update to add flavor, but it showed that I didn't spend enough time on it. Now here is the crux of what I am saying. I can write update with a lot more flavor, rhetoric etc. and make them nice reads, but you'd have to wait longer for updates, two or three weeks at a time. Or I can just churn out mediocre stuff more rapidly. I was going to give you a vote but I have made up my mind myself. Your going to have to wait longer. Sorry, but that is my choice. deal with it.

Hardraade: Relegate Austria? If I win, I doubt there will be an Austria to relegate... great to hear you've caught up again pal. Still missing your Prussian AAR :(
 
I'd say alternation would be nice, but if it comes down to it by all means make the more detailed updates.
 
1848: First Inconclusive Blood

The German offensives into Austria throughout November made good headway though could hardly claim to be a military masterpiece. The new Generalfeldmarschall , Karl Freiherr von Müffling, was being cautious, to say the least. Out of the seven Corps arrayed on the Austrian front, only five were to be engaged; two in Bohemia, one in Moravia, one in Austria and one in Galicia. The other two were being kept back to defend Bavaria rather than attack Innsbruck, a move which many German Generals disagreed with. However, even with some criticism of his plans, von Müffling argued that his plans were made with a strategic goal in mind.

Unfortunately, German war aims were very vague. It was unclear as to whether Berlin wanted the army to take Vienna or not; if Germany was simply acting to secure Hungarian independence or for gaining territory. Therefore, von Müffling was unsure as to what to do with the force supplied to him, so he did what any General should do; he tried to straighten the line. If he launched offensives all along the line, he would have continued to have a massive salient sticking out into German lines. This would be created by the delay in occupying Bohemia and Moravia, which already jutted into German territory. No doubt, as well, that these same troops would be held up in front of Vienna as the Austrians scrambled troops to the defence of their capital. So, despite calls for more aggression, von Müffling was doing everything in his power to ensure a stable line in the lack of orders.

He was, in fact, very fortunate that the Austrians were so unprepared for his offensives. They had a defensive line running from Innsbruck to Ried im Innkreis, but this was under-manned and did not cover Bohemia and Moravia where the main troop movements were taking place. As such, the only regular Austrian troops to be engaged during November were those on the far end of the line, at Ried im Innkreis. Facing a mere 8,000 Austrians, von Müffling had placed 36,000 troops of the crack Leibgarde Corps, expanded to three divisions, each of four brigades, during the peacetime.

Being placed at the fork of two rivers about seventy kilometres west of Linz, it was the obvious point for any German army wishing to take Linz to pass into Austria, rather than take the more obvious route down the Danube; a much wider river, and much harder to ford if the need arose. Also within striking distance was Salzburg, sixty kilometres to the south, though in this case the Guards objective was Linz, as this would do much to shore up the eastern flank of the Army of Bohemia which would advance towards Vienna. The Austrians had chosen the high ground outside Ried, for the town itself sat in the river valley, to fight the Germans. In a line extending barely two and a quarter kilometres from just north of the village of Danner to a little northwest of Weierfing, the Austrians placed six thousand men, with a reserve of just two thousand holding the rear and flanks.

General Pflüger, commanding the Guards Corps, recognised that if he continued to advance down the valley and smash through the courtesy Austrian defensive line there, obviously laid down by his enemy to tempt him to do so, he would be give his flanks up to enfilading fire from the heavily forested hills above Danner and Weierfing that the Austrians had occupied. While this would hardly put his force in jeopardy, it would cost him far too many casualties than what the battle was worth. Therefore, he had to come up with a more cunning scheme if he was to take Ried without committing an unnecessary amount of force.

November 6th was a particularly cold morning, and as Austrian troops at Weierfing were just finishing breakfast and beginning to take their posts the Bugle called out ‘stand to’. It was apparent that Pflüger was intending to be in Ried by nightfall; he had sent in his best troops, the First and Second Guards Brigades, formed out of the original regiments of the Leibgardes. They were attacking the Austrian lines on the river road, just below Weierfing, head-on. Standing at about five hundred yards in front of the Austrian lines, out of effective musket range, they peppered the Austrians with rifle fire, still quite accurate at this range. The Austrian General, unable to deal out effective firepower on the German formations from his front ordered the regiments guarding the wings to close in from the sides and use the high ground to their advantage. For a few moments it worked; the Guards began taking casualties, but not for long.




The First and Second Leibgarde Brigades, clad in their distinctive black uniforms, advance towards Weierfing on the morning of November 6th


Pflüger had been waiting for this effective, and as soon as the flanks had left their own flanks exposed he unleashed the rest of the First Guards Division at the Austrian flank above Weierfing. With only three regiments, as the Austrian General, with full-credit to him, had order the reserves up as soon as he noticed the weakness, facing a full two Brigades, the Austrian flank withered and then broke. Collapsing in on itself, the Austrians ran through Weierfing, and through their own frontlines, and back through Ried. The Austrian General was still not willing to retreat, but when the Second Guards Division, which had been entirely unengaged, attacked the Austrian regiment holding Danner, and the Third Guards Division, also unengaged, joined in the assault on the Austrians main positions at Weierfing, he had no choice but to fall back. Ried was then abandoned to the Germans, leaving Pflüger to take his important junction town the next day.

The Austrian force was engaged briefly three days later, east of Ried at Langstadl, but this was only brief. The Austrians disengaged after only a few hours; the Austrian General was probably waiting to see in which direction Pflüger would advance, but as soon as he knew Linz was his objective, obvious by the way he pressed the attack, the Austrians retreated. The next day, scouts could find no details about his position. The road was open to Linz, or so he thought.

This was not the case. Austrian resistance had been stiffening by the day, and this had made it most difficult for von Müffling to carry out his objectives. Ried, while a victory, was only the first step in his plans. German commanders in Bohemia had met a cold welcome from the Czechs, and the need to assert German control over the rear of their forces meant the going had been very slow. It had taken a whole month for German troops to reach Brno, the final pocket of resistance in Moravia, and the gateway to Vienna, and as such, the whole program was lagging behind schedule. Things were equally slow further south. Field Marshal Radetzky, taking the inactivity of German forces around Innsbruck to be a sign of weakness decided to use any troops available to go on the offensive. Seeing the defence of the eastern shore of Lake Constance, around the city of Bregenz, as both unnecessary and, in the event of the fall of Innsbruck, untenable, he requisitioned the ten thousand men defending the region for an offensive into Bavaria. It was small scale on the grand scheme of things, but the Austrian forces managed to get all the way to Kaufbeuren, less than fifty-five kilometres from Augsburg before a German Corps arrived to oust them from Bavaria. After a one-hour fire fight, the Austrians worked out they were facing three times their number and beat a hasty retreat from Bavaria back to Innsbruck.

While inconsequential as a military engagement, it presented a dilemma for von Müffling. So long as Radetzky had forces in Innsbruck, and German forces remained at a standstill in Bavaria, the war would move nowhere. Innsbruck would have to be taken. Unfortunately, out of the two Corps in Bavaria, one had just committed a forced march, fought a battle, albeit a small one, and was out of position to strike again until at least the New Year. This left only the other Corps, currently defending Munich, to take Innsbruck. As von Müffling observed on his maps, this would leave Munich undefended, and ten-thousand Austrians waiting in Salzburg to attack it.

This destroyed his well laid plans, and made him rethink his strategy. Firstly, though perhaps hastily, a mobilisation order was sent out. Berlin agreed, and promised to have over 680,000 men at arms within a matter of months. It was big talk, yes, but at least some of those men would be needed. The second was a reorder of forces already in the front line. Pflüger’s Guards would attack Salzburg and defend the flank of the von Bradenburg’s Corps attacking Innsbruck. The situation in Moravia would have to change as well. The Corps to the extreme east of the army, at that time occupied in taking Olomouc, would swing around the entire northern front and attack Linz and take the objective of the Guards from the north, a move which necessitated the risky act of bridging the Danube, most probably under fire. This would shore up the gap between the Army of Bohemia and the Army of Bavaria. This would leave von Müffling’s own Corps to take Sankt Pölten and cover the Cavalry Corps’ flank while they moved against Vienna. Originally it had been planned that both these Corps would attack Vienna, but to ensure a continuous line, the infantry had to cover other areas of advance.

 
Last edited:
The advance isn't going quite to plan, but I'm sure that the Germans will work the kinks out and secure a decisive victory. One that will hopefully, as you say, finish Austria for good.

I too kind of miss my Prussian AAR. It was my first and technically only Vicky AAR and I enjoyed writing it. I'm thinking of starting another one once I've cleared my plate a little, but haven't decided on a country yet.
 
The advance isn't going quite to plan, but I'm sure that the Germans will work the kinks out and secure a decisive victory. One that will hopefully, as you say, finish Austria for good.

I too kind of miss my Prussian AAR. It was my first and technically only Vicky AAR and I enjoyed writing it. I'm thinking of starting another one once I've cleared my plate a little, but haven't decided on a country yet.

We all miss your Prussian AAR Hardrade. :D

Crush the dirty Austrians Robou! I have faith you'll annex Austria and led Hungary to freedom. The Germans are very good at 'liberating' peoples under the yoke of oppression.
 
robou said:
Ahura Mazda: It is great news to hear that this has been an inspiration for someone for something. Unfortunately the link is broken, but I'd love to come and have a look. See, I am trying to learn Swedish... slowly, and this might help me slowly get the hang of it. As long as there are pictures...

You're trying to learn swedish? Why is that?
Anyways, here's a working link...
 
What is the situation in Galicia? Basically, a thrust into Hungarian territory to flank the Austrian positions and then stab them in the back can be an option.
 
Poor old Austria, always getting beat up by their opponents. (Sadly) just like in RL the Austrians were the main 'world power' that seemingly couldn't win after the 1820's against moderate or other major powers.

robou, I was a long time reader of this AAR as a 'guest' and have yet to comment as a user. Fantastic stuff!
 
Interesting. Considering the pressures of the age, I would equally expect the Czechs to welcome or dislike the Prussian arrival - considering Austrian repression, Austrian failure to modernize, Austrian economic woes, all of which were replicated in your game, Prussia would be a better master. You might also consider modding an event to bring Austria into Germany if you win, minus Hungary. The big debate of the age was small Germany versus big Germany, and beating Austria and separating it from Hungary solves the problem neatly.

I also like how the narration shows German efforts running aground. The mobilization of half a million men has got to make Russia and France start to take notice, no?
 
Suprisingly tricky time your having in Austria considering past sucesses. But I am confident in a final German victory.

Also I agree that Austria should be absorbed into Germany with the exception of Hungary who you should remain freindly with.
 
Inconclusive my arse! If you made an advance into Austria, which you did, it can not be considered inconclusive. Ha, you are just bummed out that Austria is putting up a tougher fight than you admit :p
 
I agree. Anschlüß their arses! :)
Take in all the deutschsprachig Länder!
 
And so the Radetzky March became...

...the Radetzky Foxtrot??? Maybe the Radetzky Hotfoot! :p

Robou, you sure have 10 times more patience than I had when I played Prussia! To think of waiting months for reserves to be mobilized would have killed me! :D But good work!

Rensslaer


p.s. BTW, Congratulations on 50,000 views! That's a milestone! :D
 
Last edited: