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Monarchy over the Danube 1938-39

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Here's map based on the Hearts of Iron III After Action Report, Monarchy over the Danube (forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/s…, showing what that AU's resurrected Habsburg Empire looked like in 1938-39, just before the outbreak of an alternate World War II. Needless to say, the reemergence of Austria as an European power has broken the balance of power between the Axis, Allies and Soviets. Among other things, like Hungary having what would be the equivalent of a squee at regaining much of the lands lost in Trianon...

I did take some liberties (tweaking the borders and bits of the backstory) to make it at least slightly more realistic and convincing. Given that the source material eventually has the Neo-Austro-Hungarians taking on Nazi Germany and winning, well it felt necessary.

Also, one could describe the scenario as technically AustriaxHungary or AusHun in a certain fandom. ;)

It took a while to work out the details, hopefully this does some justice. Enjoy!

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It seemed hard to believe that two decades after the Great War ended, Europe would witness the rebirth and rise of the old Habsburg Empire. While the story could be traced to the fallout of Versailles and Trianon in 1918-19 which signed the death warrant for Austria-Hungary, it would be more apt to begin with the turmoil striking much of the world in the early 1930s. Austria had by then been reduced to a struggling, unstable republic at the mercy of its fascist neighbors, especially Hitler's Germany. It was also during this time that then Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg made a revision on the law banning the deposed Habsburgs from returning.

Matters went ahead when a faction of politicians and diplomats led by Guido Schmidt approached Otto von Habsburg, heir to the old throne, in Belgium on reclaiming his rightful place. After finally agreeing, he and his conspirators returned to Austria, only to find the police and military forces sent in to arrest them turning on the Chancellor. Fearing civil war and with public support in favor of the heir, the government resigned on the 29th of September 1935; a makeshift coronation soon followed in Vienna formally restoring the monarchy. But while Austria began to rebuild, it was only the beginning. Negotiations with Regent Miklos Horthy eventually led to the Second Ausgleich with Hungary on New Year's 1936. Together, the two would form the center of an "Imperial Federation of the Danube," which would unite all of Central Europe into a community of equals, a bastion of order and liberty.

At first, neither the Allied Powers nor most of the League of Nations recognized the revived Austria-Hungary, believing it to be just a deluded gasp of an old relic doomed to fall before the Fascists and Communists. Then came the invasion of Italy in 1936-37, under the pretense of "asserting the self-determination of South Tyrol." And whether it was due to Austrian discipline or Italian incompetence on a massive scale, the conflict would result in Mussolini's downfall and the "liberation" of Venice. Elsewhere in Central and Southern Europe, diplomacy, espionage and armed coups would destroy the balance of power. Beginning with the Czechs, more and more of the old Empire joined the Federation, and following the shockingly quick war with Yugoslavia in 1938, surpassed its 1914 borders. By that point, the Allies threatened to declare war. Yet compared to the Nazis and Soviets, they increasingly, though at first begrudgingly, sought to find more friendly terms with them.

For a time not long after, it seemed that peace had finally returned, albeit in a way unforeseen in 1918. Then to Otto's shock, Austria-Hungary's nominal German allies declared war on Poland in 1939, soon followed by the USSR. They soon found themselves in a difficult position. Supporting Hitler was a detestable option, especially once it became clear that Nazism was just as demented in their eyes as their "common" Communist enemies. Courting with the Allies grew more preferable, though with the exception of Britain and possibly the United States, concerns rose on whether they would even welcome them in without "reaffirming" Versailles. Neutrality was also considered, but it was only a matter of time before either of the power blocs turned on the Federation. in any case, Galicia and Silesia were practically at their grasp. Whatever choice they make now could determine the future of not only the monarchy but possibly Europe.


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Just to play it safe, I don't own Hearts of Iron III or other Paradox Entertainment games for that matter, let along the original AAR.

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