Chapter I - Prologue
This story starts far behind the game’s timeline. Actually, it starts during the Great War on 21st of November 1916, when Franz Joseph I. passed away after nearly 68 years of reign. He left no male successor; his only son Rudolph committed suicide in 1889.Therefore, Charles I., his nephew, became the last emperor of the Empire.
The Empire was in a war it couldn’t handle. Despite the situation on the front wasn’t so bad, the internal problems were endangering the very basics of Austrian state. The Empire became a vassal of Germany; as our armies were in a very bad condition; our participation was dependant on them. It shown to be a wrong choice – despite efforts of Charles I. to get the Empire out of war, it ended with defeat and dissolving of the Monarchy. Charles I. tried to get his throne back 2 times, but he failed. He spent the rest of his life on Madeira, where he died in 1922. During the last moments of his life he was enclosed by his family – his wife, Zita, and his son, Otto, aged 9.
Three generations – Franz Joseph, Charles and Otto
Young Otto became the head of House of Habsburgs. During his early life he studied social sciences in Belgium at Leuven, finishing the studies in 1935. In the same year, Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg revised the content of Habsburg Law, which forced Otto’s family to leave the country. Despite being prohibited to participate in politics, Otto could return home now... And change the history.
People of Austria never accepted the Austrian first republic. Former superpower is now, in 1935, just an ordinary mid European country without any power, stuck by the economic crisis from the 30s with unpopular chancellor and endangered by National Socialism. Overall situation is unstable, as many people want to see Austria back in its former glory. Mussolini, who supported fascist Austria for most of its existence, is now busy with shelling Ethiopian spear-armed tribesmen with artillery grenades. Austrian republic is now weaker than ever.
Otto as a student, accompanied by one of the conspirators
While he was studying in Leuven, a group of Austrian politicians around diplomat Guido Schmidt, close friends of the Chancellor himself got in contact with him and offered him a chance to get back his rightfully demanded throne of Austria. Otto didn’t trust them at first, but when the things started to move and when it became clear that neither the Entente nor Mussolini is going to intervene, he accepted. When Otto and his new companions, Guido Schmidt and Eduard Baar-Baarenfels, former members of Schuschnigg’s cabinet, returned home, the government ordered police to act as they realised it was a huge mistake, but it was too late. The arrival of Crown Prince Otto was the last drop. Police officers sent against Otto refused to comply Chancellor’s orders; some of the military commanders joined Otto against the Fascist government. President Miklas and Chancellor Schuschnigg decided to prevent any violence or a civil war and both resigned on 29th September 1935. Otto was then crowned as Emperor of Austria on 1st October in St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. The Monarchy was restored.
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Place of the ceremonial – St Stephen’s Cathedral | Imperial Crown
But this wasn’t the end of Otto’s plans. He wanted to reunite the monarchy in its borders from 1914, but he knew this target is almost impossible. To achieve it, he would have to balance between Nazi Germany, which wants to return Austria “Heim an Reich”, and between the Allies, who managed to destroy the monarchy in 1919 in St Germain. Most of the sovereign nations will be opposing his plans – namely Czechs, Serbs, Romanians and others. The only possible allies are friends from the times of Dual Monarchy – Hungarians. Hungary was also in a difficult situation. Economically weak, encircled by Little Entente, violated by Trianon treaty. In autumn 1935 Otto ordered his diplomats to start negotiating with Admiral Horthy, Regent of Hungarian Kingdom, about a federation of Austria-Hungary.
“We can’t give you any certainty – we can only offer war and risk, but we promise you to get all the Hungarians under the Crown of St. Stephen like before. The world is changing – old alliances are broken, new war is closing. We have a unique chance to change status quo in our favour – to create a new Austria – federation of cooperating nations, living in peace and secure from brown or red totalitarian systems.”
This is what Otto said to Horthy during a personal meeting in Schönbrunn. Except for all Hungarian lands, Horthy was also offered to be a Prime Minister in the new state. Therefore, after long negotiations, he accepted in early December. Both states were formally unified, despite not recognized by any major power, on the 1st January 1936. As discussed before, the new Austria will be a federation – all the nations will get their rights to live in peace within the monarchy. The new constitution was prepared and also a new flag, using the colours of Habsburg dynasty and symbol of Schmidt’s monarchist group was made a state symbol. The new Coat of Arms represents the historical tradition of the Monarchy and even sovereignty of (future) nations of our federation.
So this is how the first 2 federative states – Kingdom of Austria and Kingdom of Hungary – were created. Now it’s time to return the Monarchy back to its lost glory...
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Flags of 2 Kingdoms of the Federation - Kingdom of Austria and Kingdom of Hungary