Early Germany Management Choices

[GAGA Extrem]

Basicly I start off producing ~50 spies and send them to SOV, ENG and FRA to raise threat.

Meanwhile I spend minimal LS to research (only IC production techs). After I got the spies, I start a full industry techup + my prefered ship unit (BB/CVL or SS) + all other basic techs like radio, radar and LARM/ARM techs (for (L)ARM & MECH).

All doctrin research is halted until early 38. Then I start researching all prerequirements for the higher tier techs (I usually get all but the GAR/PTS/MIL - combat width). In addition, I start researching the most important naval / air techs. At mid/late 38 the remaining land doctrines follow.

Early production is either some AA for ART practice or some forts for industrial practice. If I plan an SS strategy I also add a run of 6 Tier II SS. If I play big I usually commisson BB/CVLs around mid/end of 37. Another option are some early INT planes, esp. useful if you want to use CV/CVL.

For unit construction I usually stack my IC until mid 38 and then start producing some ART to create INF-INF-ART divisions. Around early 39 I produce some MECH and TD and reorganize my starting LARM corps into 3x LARM-LARM-MECH and 3x MOT-TD.

For flavor I sometimes add 1 transport + 9 PAR brigades and/or 4-8 MAR brigades as special OPS. Transport can be started in 36 and use any excess IC you don't want to allocate elsewhere.

And about your questions:

1. Does 12-14 leadership points going into technology constitute too much of a drain on my leadership pool? I am at 80% officers now, but I have been steadily raising officer allocations since annexing Austria. I am confident I can get it back up to 100% by early 1939.

12-14 points is imo a too small investment. Don't build officers until you have "service on requirement" law. You can still play at 60% officer ratio, I have yet to discover noticeable negative side effects. I suggest investing ALL leadership in tech and switch to full DIP/INT for some days if you need influence or spies.

2. Was it wise to put such a heavy industrial tech focus in the early part of the game? I just copied my HOI2 strategy of industry first.

Imo: Yes. Though IC whoring seems not to be perfect for GER at all times. If you plan a heavy SS/BB/ARM or air setup, practice *might* become more handy then building additonal IC...
Yet I still go for IC whoring, too...

3. Will 30 divisions arranged in 3-per-province stacks be sufficient to hold off the French while another 30 infantry + armored divisions take Poland? I think it should be. I have also assigned all my airpower into a Corps on the Western Front for defense.

The AI is extremly underwhelming atm. I usually guard the whole western front with single INF-INF-ART divisions and usually overun the most eastern maginot line province on the first day. Same for Poland: 1 INF-INF-ART at decent tech level is good enough. You don't have to fight anyway: Just rush with ARM towards their VP provinces or drop some gamey PAR on their heads...

4. Was it wise to go for an early annexation of Austria or does the neutrality loss for the Allies constitute too much of a loss for me?

I tend to annex austria quite late. However, with enough threat and no interest in allies I think you should do it asap. Will try a fast annex on my next GER game. In fact, the additonal IC and ressources are quite handy...

5. I intend on starting the war alone, then inviting the alliance after I take Paris. Good idea?

Can do, but the Italians are extremly powerful atm and will usually finish off France all alone. Inviting them will speed up the surrender progress since you don't have to worry about the southern VP provinces. Hower, if you have PAR you won't need them.

 

[GAGA Extrem]

I have a problem annexing Austria...did the Rhineland, not at war with them and they aren't either...I am using spies to support our form of gov't, and I am influencing them...am I doing something wrong?

They will get the needed modifier automatically at some point. Just wait a bit.

 

[GAGA Extrem]

If I mobilize my reserves up to full strength before DOWing Poland, do you think I could take them out by attacking on the first hour with no time for them to dig in or raise their reserves to full strength?

Surely. I usually stack 3x3 INF-INF-ART next to the most eastern maginot province and provide them with full engineer or fortress buster commanders through the whole hierachy (except for theatre HQ).

Since ART has bonus attack against forts and the commanders lower your penalty even further, you will be able to fight around 10-30% combat efficency. Enough to overhelm the defenders, if it doesn't work out use 4 TAC and bomb them.

Afterwards I spread out and start encircleing the whole maginot line. In my last game I used PAR and ARM to capture all Polish VP provinces within 3 days, so most of my army stood ready at the maginot line. I used my MOT-TD divisions to hold enemy armor and rapidly advanced along the French flanks, in the end about 20 divisions were stuck inside the maginot line, leaving the rest of France open. The remaining divs from the Belgian border were pushed towards N and pinned down. My PAR jumped to Paris and from there to the remaining VP provinces. Cakewalk.

So: Yes, breaking the maginot line is definalty possible. However, I suggest a one-at-a-time approach: encircle, attack the weakest point from every possible direction.

 

[GAGA Extrem]

Don't even try the Maginot. Even though it will probably be underdefended by the French, those stacks of 10 lvl forts will slow you down too much for too long. Take the easy route through Belgium

Actually fighting through BEL takes more time than a well managed Blitz throught eh maginot line...