Crisis Wars: Is there any advantage to be found?

[ConstantineXII]

As SuperGermany I've been focusing on "liberating" the Balkans from Ottoman rule, and trying to weaken Russia by supporting the liberation of Poland and such.

However, Serbia has cores on me so helping them was a big mistake, Greece keeps trying to take advantage of my wars with the Ottomans by DOW on their own while I'm at war, then not calling me into their war once I'm at peace. The liberated states are not my puppets, and Poland allied with Russia so that doesn't help me at all.

Are there any tips to a noobish player about how to use liberation movements to my advantage? So far I feel like I'm fighting all these wars but getting nothing concrete out of them.

 

[al3xytp]

Greece keeps trying to take advantage of my wars with the Ottomans by DOW on their own while I'm at war, then not calling me into their war once I'm at peace.

You have a truce with the Ottomans, therefore Greece can't call you in.

The liberated states are not my puppets, and Poland allied with Russia so that doesn't help me at all.

That's strange, doesn't Russia still have cores on the liberated Poland and shouldn't it prevent an alliance between the twos ?

Are there any tips to a noobish player about how to use liberation movements to my advantage? So far I feel like I'm fighting all these wars but getting nothing concrete out of them.

Freed nations should normally be freed in your sphere. Even if they don't want to ally you for hardcoded reasons, like "own cores", you'll be able to join the war on their side should they are declared war on.
Also, the most nations you free, the weaker your enemies will be

 

[LiberiusX]

In my experience, crises are more beneficial to small powers. They can be a useful check against larger powers that like to throw their weight around, i.e. Germany.

A lot of AI countries will position themselves against the #1 power. You've probably seen this reflected in the "political considerations" modifier.

Therefore, as a larger power, I find it much easier to use a fabricated liberation CB, than to wait on crises to pop up.

 

[Hethran]

One good trick is to use the Acquire State wargoal to gain one state with the requisite cores, then release the nation as a puppet, and then use crises or the liberate country wargoal to get the entire country "freed" as one huge puppet government under your control.

 

[Owl Raider]

Crisis wars are good for 2 things:
1. Generating great wars when you otherwise can't.
2. Break truces with no penalties.