Campaigns of the Coalition: Austria

This is the Austrian Campaign of Napoleon Total War.

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I will add some starting details to get things started.


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Starting Scenario:


Turns: 168 Early January 1805 to Late December 1812

Faction: Austria

Allied Factions: Great Britain, Russia, Sweden, Sicily, Naples

Neutral Factions: Prussia, Ottomans, Denmark, Hessen, Sardinia, Mecklenburg, Olddenburg, Papal States, Portugal, Saxony

Enemy Factions: France, Bavaria, Spain, Batavia, Swiss Confederation, Baden-Württemberg, Italy

Trade Partners: Great Britain, Saxony, Russia.

Starting Treasury: 7500

Starting Income: 1492

Regions at Start: (9) Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, Croatia, Galicia, Moravia, Transylvania, Tyrol, Venetia.

Starting Forces: Army;
Garrisons; (Buda-Pest) 2 Inf, (Zagreb) 2 Lt Inf, (Innsbruck) 2 Mil, (Lenberg) 2 Mil, (Vienna) 1 Arty, 1 Grn, 2 Inf, 2 Lt Inf, (Klausenburg) 1 Inf, 1 Lt Inf, (Venice) 1 Cav, 1 Arty, 1 Inf, (Prague) 1 Cav, 2 Inf.

Field Armies; (Austria) von Österrich-Este, 2 Cav, 3 Inf, (Bohemia) von Österrich, 1 Arty, 1 Inf, 2 Lt Inf, 1 Gnz, (Bavaria) Leiberich, 1 Cav, 1 Arty, 1 Grn, 2 Inf, 2 Lt Inf, (Venetia) von Österrich-Teschen, 2 Cav, 1 Arty, 1 Grn, 1 Inf, 1 Lt Inf.

Fleets: None

Trade Fleets; None

Agents: 1 Spy, 1 Gentleman

Objective Regions: Flanders & Wallonia, Balkans, Silesia, Tyrol, Volhynia & Podolia, Austria, Saxony & Thuringia, Northern Italy.

Victory Conditions: Capture 25 Regions including the Objective Regions


Abbreviations: Cav= cavalry, Arty= Artillery, Inf= Line Infantry, Lt Inf= Light Infantry, Mil= Militia, Grn= Grenadier, Gnz= Grenzers

Note: Most Austrian Light Infantry is rifle equipped.

Intro.

Regardless of what faction you play, the first part of a TW campaign is always the same. Protect your borders keeping the smallest army possible and build an economy.
Protecting your borders doesn't necessarily require a full stack army in each border. Use all the possible tricks, these include allies and protectorates as buffers (don't be afraid to give away a poor border province if it greatly decreases the extent of your borders). Set your armies in ambush positions, use spies to see attacks before they reach your borders, etc. Also, keep an eye open for opportunistic attacks that will allow taking a neighbor province, but only if this doesn't increase your borders or put your defense under further stress. For instance, liberate them and create a buffer. It's important to do so with the smallest army possible so that you can invest more money instead of spending it on upkeep.
Building an economy is simple. You get money from tax income and trade income. The former is increased by infrastructure, admin buildings, commercial towns, etc. That's what you should invest on. Keep the building of military buildings to the absolute minimum (required for technology advances). Trade relies on getting access to trade nodes and therefore requires a navy which is clearly easier with same nations than with others.


Austria-specific

Austria appears to be very hard at first, but with a few steps you can get to a very good positoin which will make the rest of the game a lot easier.
You have to take Bavaria and Milan asap and give it to someone that the french wont attack just yet. I gave them to Portugal, but they eventually attacked me (nothing serious, cos by then I was strong enough to squash it easily). Then move your western army to the woods just west of Insbruck. This is the only western border you have and France and its allies will always come through here where you will be waiting, hiding in ambush mode.
Ottomans will be your focus at start. You should blitz unprotected provinces like belgrad, bucharest and iasi. Bucharest and Belgrad you should give away to get a buffer.You can take a boat and go to Athens and take it easily (liberating it) also with a very small army. Your main should be ready to defend instead since in case you gave your provinces to Russia like I did, its possible that they actually skip the buffer and go directly to Budapest. You should never lose Budapest as it is your main Military Facility (some units you can only get here). Then you can calmly take Rumelia, one stack at the time. Only then you should turn your eyes towards France and the West without a single concern on any other front (get an alliance with Prussia from the start)
Building admin buildings, commercial towns and infrastructure is even more important with Austria cos their initial access to Trade points is virtually inexistent. Only after you take out OT can you go for the trade nodes. I took Ajjaccio and made a dry dock there to recruit support my Med fleet (which should focus on taking out French and Spanish fleets). Rumelia and all the trade nodes you get in Med provide a huge income boost which you can then use to fund armies for attacking France.

Note: The Austrian army is clearly weaker than GB or France, but it has some good points. Hungarian line inf is actually par with normal french line inf. The problem is that you can only get a limited number and replenishment is an issue. Hungarian Hussars are top light cav. Artillery is missing horse art, but otherwise its pretty good (accuracy above par). It's easy to get grenzers and jagers (the latter have better range than their french counterparts). Your army is much better than the Ottoman and is good enough to tackle the French. At the end of the game you will be at some disadvantage due to the lack of guards, but still, nothing serious. Games are not won on the battlefield, but on the campaign map. Proficiency in the battlefield just makes it faster.


--
C.

"Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds." A. Einstein