The First World War Mod: Austrian Decision Tree

Since my first working pass at the Serbian focus tree in my WWI mod, I’ve been engrossed in completing the 2nd focus tree required to get the war started: Austria’s.

The Empire Without Qualities

Austria’s role within the 1st World War is widely understood as a desperate, but ultimately failed attempt to reform an ageing dual-monarchy. Proposals to break the political deadlock that had existed between Vienna and Budapest since the Augsleich ranged from Trialism - the addition of a 3rd state to the empire (of which there was a Croatian, and a Polish variant, the former being favoured by Franz Ferdinand), a federalised ‘United States of Greater Austria’, or by more fantastical standards a return to a German-Austrian hegemony (that said, even this option saw serious support from German-Austrian nationalists in 1915).

Pursuing this reform often meant winning the favour of the minorities at the expense of Hungarian approval, or, when Hungarian war-effort was vital, forsaking the former for the latter. To represent this, I’ve given Austria two national ideas (modifier bundles): Hungarian Resistance and Minority Resistance.

• Hungary, increasingly the industrial arm of the dual monarchy since the late 19th century, will incur economic maluses as their resistance increases.

• Disloyal minorities will hamper Austria’s ability to wage offensive war.

These ideas change in severity as you navigate Austria’s focus tree.

A closer look:

Early Branch

Austria’s tree begins with the tail-end of the Agram trials - a national fiasco in which Serb politicians in Austrian Croatia were wrongly accused of treason against the Hapsburgs. It’s something of a diorama of Austria’s relationship with south slavs in the years that followed: Vienna’s paranoia alienating otherwise loyal Serbs.

Taking the more pro-minority action allows you to recruit Tomáš Masaryk - who had not yet given up on Austria-Hungary - as an advisor.

• Following the Military Chancery branch, we walk for a while in Franz Ferdinand’s shoes as he attempts to modernise.

• If you purge the nay-sayers, you can even get in early on tank technology by funding Gunther Burstyn’s designs.

• There’s an option to keep Italy off your back by trading away the Littoral, which will result in Zara and Trieste becoming city-states which can be won over by Italy or Austria.

• Finally, you can capitalise on the recently annexed Bosnia, or you can hand it to Hungary for an early boost in Hungarian loyalty.

Reform Branch

The meat and potatoes of this tree is the reform branch.

There are 5 ways to reform the empire, permanently removing the Hungarian and Minority Resistance modifiers, and replacing them with something else:

• Austro-Hungarian Parliament: Hungary is reabsorbed, but Hungarians retain their special privileges.

• United States of Greater Austria: Hungary is reabsorbed and the empire is federalised.

• Croatian Trialism: A third South-Slav kingdom is released to counter Hungarian influence. This requires gaining control of Croatia from Hungary with another focus.

• Polish Trialism: As above, but usoing Galicia to form a Polish kingdom. Extra Polish land must be obtained from Russian Poland.

• Austrian Empire: Austrian hegemony is re-established.

As always, I’ve tried to design this branch so that you can change direction mid-game, rather than just provide a ‘lock in’ dichotomy in the early-game. This actually reflects Austrian policy-making through the war, which at various times entertained Trialist, Federal, and Austrian reform.

• For example, the creation of a Polish diet can be read as a step towards Trialism, or a move to allow German Austrians a majority in Viennese parliament.

• Another way to reform the Austrian Empire is with support from Germany: German-Austrian nationalists viewed an economic partnership with Germany as a potential check to minority and Hungarian influence.

• Appeasing Hungary can provide large economic boons: as mentioned, Hungary became the epicentre of the Empire’s second industrial revolution (consumer goods, electronics), after Austria served as that of the first (heavy industry, steam).

• Once reformed, Austria is free to return to the world stage and assert itself. They receive war goals against Russia, Italy, and Romania, depending on the reform taken.

Diplomatic Branch

The diplomatic branch is rooted in the Matscheko Memorandum - an alarmist document drawn up by Austria’s lawmakers shortly before the war. It outlined 4 requirements for the Empire’s international security:

• Romania must be forced to choose between an Austrian and Russian leaning.

• German assurance of support in future crises must be obtained (this was the infamous ‘Blank Cheque’).

• Bulgaria should be wooed into an alliance.

• Serbia should be brought into line by economic concessions.

All of these are subbranches of the diplomatic tree, though I decided against an ‘Economic Concessions to Serbia’ focus for now, instea preferring the ability to stage an Obrenović coup in Serbia.

In addition, you can stray from German alignment and seek allies in Britain, Turkey, and Romania.

With any of these allies at your side, you’re able to revive Austria’s historic role as an advocate for balance among the powers of Europe, forming the Concert of Europe faction.

Notes on the Tree

• Austria underwent a ‘double mobilisation’ in the war: first at the level of the Empire, but second (and often more significantly) at the level of minority nations. These were:

  • The Polish legions

  • The Croat volunteers (a measure shot down by Hungary as Budapest felt it would lead to a Croatian separatist movement)

  • The Ruthene Greycoats

  • Bosnian Komitadji

  • The German Standschützen

  • Local organisations such as the Ministries of Welfare and Food, which were eventually legitimised by Vienna to boost the war effort, but which laid the groundwork for these regions operating as sovereign states.

• I’ve tried to scatter other bonuses behind national branches:

  • Croatian naval experience

  • Czech arms industry

  • Hungarian civilian industry

  • Serbian marines (the Sajkasi)

• The intention is that navigating this tree is a delicate process, and the goals of the player may change as the war progresses. I’ve tried to link the process of reform tightly to the war by:

  • Requiring terrtitries for some focuses (Croatia for Croat Trialism, Congress Poland for Polish Trialism, Transylvania for pacifying Romania)

  • Tying reform to the number of mobilised troops (the ‘Votes for Heroes’ debate, in which proponents argued that all soldiers over 20 should be given the right to vote, in both Austria and Hungary).

Some work still needs to be done, but with the Austrian and Serbian focus trees finally in place, I’m at last ready to start watching the war unfold at 1914.