Habsburga la vista, baby! - A 1914 Austro-Hungarian AAR

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Chapter XLIII: Preparations​

February 1-30, 1916

'I have a comrade, a better one cannot be found!'​

There won't be happening much in this update or, probably, in the next few. Austrian troops are massing on the eastern front in preparation for our grand offensive, which we will begin when the mud of spring has dried up - most probably in May. Thus I shall be covering the entirety in February in this update.

After the capitulation of France, Britain is no longer an important factor because she can nowhere oppose us with a significant force, although she does have an army in Russia. The situation at the beginning of February, then, presents itself thus:

Europe, early February 1916

The grand plan is to simply overrun the Reds and seize all the territory we possibly can. The problem is that we have to rely on Germany to carry out a simultaneous offensive. But of course Germany, ever-wise and helpful, will not fail us. In the meantime, German propagandists, er, learnèd sages have discovered the true cause of German superiority:

'Germany is the leading nation with respect to culture'

Yeah, that's right! Germany has the lowest illiteracy rate and the highest education budget, number of books printed, and number of university students. Take that, Entente! Truly Austria-Hungary is no less educated; and we shall carry the torch of wisdom to the east and illuminate that great squalid barbarian darkness. To illustrate our learning, it is decided that we should research ever more. Nothing nonsensically new-fangled, of course, only making good things better.

Defensive attrition!

Battleships!

Thus armed with the latest in well-established strategies and armaments, we look forward to the coming struggle with great confidence. It is hoped that the coming offensive will succeed in eradicating Bolshevism from the face of the earth. Meanwhile, it is time once more to praise the wondrous alliance between Austria-Hungary and Germany. Huzzah.

'Germany-Austria, hand in hand, forever now one fatherland'

 

[unmerged(36066)]

Nice to see that the western front has been won. Now all you need to do is finish Russia off and then you can improve your country while waging war against Britain. Hurrah!!

 

[unmerged(58104)]

Time to march East and take some spoils for yourself!

Good to see you've reverted back to the old ways of over command as safferli remarked earlier; with lieutenant-general Meixner commanding 6 divisions.

 

[germanpeon]

Huzzah! I loves me some research.

I hope your horrible TC is due to redeployments or you are going to have a hard time against the Bolshevik hordes.

 

[Griffin.Gen]

Like i think i've already said, i love those propaganda posters!

 

[trekaddict]

Isn't there a post war treaty that gives the Germans a huge chunk of northern France?

 

[TheExecuter]

My Lords, the Sinai is impassable until the Brits manage to build their water pipeline...(at least this was the case in the Great War mod for HOI1)

Nice work knocking the foul French socialists from the field. Looking forward to watching the march of polyethnic dualism into the steppes of Asia and the acropolises of Greece!

TheExecuter

 

[unmerged(74032)]

Great work. Nice playing so far and I really love those propaganda-postcards they really add lots of flavour to this whole setting.

 

[unmerged(56754)]

Isn't there a post war treaty that gives the Germans a huge chunk of northern France?

It seems not.

Belgium and Metz will have to do

 

[Murmurandus]

Victory! Victory!

The Germans remain however too cunning for their own good...

 

[unmerged(74032)]

If there isn't an event to surrender large parts of france to germany...
Well then make up an event on your own, it isn't that difficult.

 

[unmerged(79411)]

And that would be somewhere in Floridsdorf I guess? I don't know from which direction the Poles originally attacked the Turks, but I guess from the north-east...

as much as i know they came over the Wienerberg, riding a bloody way down the hill.. wienerberg is west of vienna, so at the place where the tents stood should be Hietzing now.. i think..

and yes, corpses everywhere.. they where pretty stupid it seems..
everyone killing everything wich is different..

@helmold wont you give your Austria neutrality?
or just crush the enemies.. Im fine with both

mfg etepetete

ps: what do you think of austrian territorrys in egypt? some colonies could be interesting

 

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Elidioemperor: Yeah, I don't think the Russians will remember 1916 as the most fun year in their nation's history.

GoforitPanzer: Indeed. I do like imagining this: 'Lt. Gen., go and command those divisions!' - 'But sir, I can't do that unless you promote me!'

germanpeon: Yes, that TC overload would be 60+ divisions being strategically redeployed to Ukraine

Griffin.Gen: Thanks Central Powers World War I propaganda was awful, if occasionally amusing.

trekaddict: I don't think so, it might also make Germany look ugly.

TheExecuter: Yeah, that seems to be the case. The Turks and French both garrison it heavily and then stare at each other angrily across the vast expanse of impassable terrain.

Treppe: Thanks As for the surrender events, I'm quite pleased aesthetically with the current state of affairs.

Gigalocus: Well, yes. But they're nice places. Probably. I've never been.

Murmurandus: I'm sure this is all part of the plan. And as we all know, nobody panics as long as things go according to plan.

etepetete: I think my ambitions for Austria can be summed up quite simply: Alles Erdreich ist Österreich untertan. By the way, my family is originally from the Hausruckviertel in Upper Austria, so I do have Austrian roots

 

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Chapter XLIV: More preparations... and Algeria​

March 1-30, 1916

Crimea​

This update is another month of nothing much happening. The Austro-Hungarian armies are massing in Ukraine, whilst nothing of any consequence, of course, is going on in the rest of the world. Portugal is seizing German shipping, those crypto-Bolshevik dogs; the Germans have decided to build the Berlin-Baghdad railway. We, of course, weren't asked, but there is no need: we know Germany is ever munificent towards us. In the meantime, the British are apparently resolved to defend Russia to the last.

British forces in Livonia

Ha! Perfidious Albion cannot save the Reds of Russia from the annihilation they richly deserve. Our armies are slowly pouring in and are preparing to deliver the knock-out blow to the bear. In the meantime, astonishing news from French North Africa! The downtrodden people of Algeria have decided to throw off once for all the French Bolshevik yoke and instead embrace polyethnic dualism! 'For polyethnic dualism! God save the emperor Francis!', the rebels of Algiers shout - except they shout it in Foreign. Since our Ministry for the Dissemination of Useful Knowledge to the Public (it's the old Ministry for Education of Propaganda, except with a new label slapped on, er, I mean completey reformed) employs no-one who speaks Foreign, we can only guess from the happy faces of the savages that it is for dualism that they have risen! And the rhyme proves it!

The Algiers revolt

Note also the astonishing German strategic bombing campaign against Britain. The fishermen of Stornoway will be really delayed on their way to work this week! The fact that the military usefulness of these bombardments eludes us is proof positive that German cunning is so great that even Austro-Hungarian minds cannot comprehend it. Whilst we still marvel at the German biplanes bombing Scottish country lanes, German propaganda has taken a new turn. Instead of emphasising boring old things like one's duty to the fatherland, our allies have decided on a new strategy.

'The Iron Cross'

Yes, military decorations are apparently dispensed by the Kaiser's ironclad groupies. So fight to the death, men! This ingenious propaganda strategy has been carefully studied and will find widespread application in Austro-Hungary from now on. As so often, the Germans lead the way. Except when they go crazy and decide that ships would be much better off in the air or at the bottom of the ocean.

In the meantime, the Turks, emboldened by a similar vision,* advance victoriously against Nicholas the Second International's Marxist hordes!

Turkish advances in the Caucasus

The Turks shall destroy the Asiatic hordes! (A historical thesis proving beyond doubt the European origin of the Turks is quickly drawn up.) And, to top all our glorious achievements this month, we once more gather to praise our faithful allies Bulgaria and their unceasing efforts to aid us in overcoming the international red menace. Where would we be today without Bulgaria's unwavering hard struggle on our behalf? Would we have prevailed so easily without those invaluable divisions from Bulgaria backing us up?

'Bulgaria with us!'

A cease-and-desist letter from Sofia only bothers our postcard artists a little. We decide to hencefort refer to Bulgaria as 'Belgaria' and slightly change the colour scheme of their flag.

*The Sultan has declared Jihad.

 

[Griffin.Gen]

This isnt only a crusade against communism, but it is also a Jihad against communism!

 

[Edzako]

British forces in Courland

Actually it is Vidzeme not Courland, where they are.

But this AAR is very enjoyable. Keep it up.

 

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Actually it is Vidzeme not Courland, where they are.

But this AAR is very enjoyable. Keep it up.

I've changed it to Livonia now, since it was part of the Livonia Governorate I do apologise for my ignorance of Latvian geography.

 

[Edzako]

I've changed it to Livonia now, since it was part of the Livonia Governorate I do apologise for my ignorance of Latvian geography.

Well, thats OK =] I forgive you

*for now

 

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Nice! The Turks should be concentrating on North Africa though. In my game Russia, France and Italy were finished, there was just England to fight and the turks just stayed there doing nothing, I had to send some troops (which were sitting around doing nothing anyway) to North Africa to save them.

Btw, how do you strategically redeploy divisions in HoI2? I've had it for about 6 months and can't find out, lol.

 

[Ragnos]

I've always found Austria-Hungary a fascinating nation for no reason other than they fact that it no longer exists.

Great job so far, your analysis of the clever German propaganda cracks me up!