Austria got its own focus tree with "Götterdämmerung," and it's one of the most branching in the game: 7 main branches, 14 sub-branches and one joint branch. But first, something most guides skip: a lot of what makes Austria interesting doesn't depend only on your own tree — it depends on which path 
Germany takes with theirs, and against the AI, that's not something you control.
Historical Context
The Republic of German-Austria was born in 1918 after the abdication of Emperor Karl I, and as a defeated power it had to sign the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye: it lost 75% of its territory, was left landlocked, had to cut its army down to 30,000 men, and had to pay war reparations. After the riots of 1927 and years of escalating political violence between socialists, communists and fascists, Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss — and later Kurt Schuschnigg — imposed the corporatist Fatherland Front (Vaterländische Front) state, banning every other party. Real history ended on March 12, 1938 with full annexation by Nazi Germany, the Anschluss — the very outcome this guide is about avoiding, delaying, or redirecting.
National Spirits at Start
With "Götterdämmerung" enabled, Austria starts with five national spirits that paint the picture of a country wrecked by the Great Depression and bound by its postwar treaty:
Widespread Unemployment
-10% political power gain. -10% stability.
Phönix Insurance
+15% political power gain. +15% recruitable population. +5% stability. +5% war support.
Recovering From Economic Depression
+20% consumer goods factories. -10% factory output.
Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye
-50% factory output. -100% facility construction speed. Conscription law capped at "Volunteer Only," templates can't be modified. Removed on July 16, 1940 if not lifted earlier via focuses.
Austrofascism
+5% stability. +0.02 daily fascism support. +50 acceptance of fascist diplomacy. +0.03 daily support for unaligned.
The Starting Point: A Tiny Industry
3 military factories, 0 dockyards, and only 10 civilian factories, plus the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye spirit cutting your already tiny output in half — Austria starts almost as badly as 
Poland, except Germany is already on the border from day one instead of showing up in 1939. The real clock isn't which focuses you complete, it's how fast you can shed that treaty and decide, before Germany decides for you, what kind of regime is going to defend the country.
The Focus Tree Branches
The Austrian tree is organized into 7 main branches, 14 sub-branches, and one joint branch with 
Hungary:
Repeal the May Constitution — the root focus that ends Austrofascism, legalizes opposition, and opens the door to the communist, democratic, and monarchist paths.
Austromarxism — the communist road: bans the fascist party, triggers a civil war, and if you win it, lets you join the Comintern or build your own communist bloc along the Danube.
The Danubian Federation — shared between democrats and monarchists, builds a regional bloc that can pull in Germany or 
the USSR if they're non-aligned or democratic, and unlocks the joint Austro-Hungarian branch.
The Legacy of an Empire — the heart of the monarchist path: restores the Austrian Empire with Otto von Habsburg (or Ernst Rüdiger Starhemberg) on the throne, with industry, stability, and war support bonuses for later expansion.
Totalitarian Safety — the historical road: keeps Austria fascist but turns it against Germany, with support from 
Italy and the Western democracies to resist the Anschluss.
Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte — the air force branch: air bases, anti-air, radar, and air technology.
Secret Rearmament — the army branch: military bonuses, design companies, and land forts.
Re-Establish the Navy — the naval branch, low priority since Austria is still landlocked unless it recovers coastal territory.
If you or Hungary complete "The Danubian Federation" or "Demand Hungarian Submission," it unlocks the joint Indivisible and Inseparable branch, which spreads bonuses across every Austro-Hungarian member and allows forming Austria-Hungary.
The Paths: Which Austria Are You Building
Once you repeal the May Constitution, the tree opens into very different directions:
- Communist (Austromarxism) — civil war, optional Soviet aid, and spreading communism along the Danube.
- Democratic (Hold Elections) — restores the republic, with the option to join the Allies or form your own Alpine faction.
- Monarchist (Reinstate the Herrenhaus) — brings back the Habsburgs, with two exits: the imperial legacy alone, or the Danubian Federation as a stepping stone toward reuniting Austria-Hungary.
- Historical (Totalitarian Safety) — you stay fascist but turn Austrofascism against Germany instead of with it, backed by Italy.
And this is where Germany comes back into play: if it follows the historical script and stays fascist, it'll attempt the Anschluss regardless of your path — with the one exception that the "Reform the Central Powers" focus on your monarchist/historical branch can directly block Germany's own Anschluss focus. If Germany ends up democratic or monarchist (Kaiser) instead, it's their own tree that decides whether they offer you an alliance or hand the throne back to the Habsburgs without firing a shot.
Standing Up to the Anschluss
If Germany follows the historical fascist path, here's what you want ready before it arrives, rather than an exact date to memorize:
- Before 1937-38 — prioritize the industry and rearmament branches: every military factory and every point of stability you claw back from the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye buys time for the rest of your tree.
- The Jansa Plan — the "Follow the Alfred Jansa Plan" focus recreates the real defensive strategy the Austrian army drew up in 1938: concentrate the defense on mountainous terrain instead of trying to cover the whole border.
- Fortify the Traun Line — the matching focus buffs exactly that natural defensive line; pair it with the Jansa Plan instead of spreading forces thin along the entire German border.
- Block the Anschluss diplomatically — if you reach "Reform the Central Powers" (monarchist/historical) in time, Germany loses the ability to complete its own Anschluss focus.
- If you don't make it in time — save before Germany starts pushing for the Anschluss if you're not playing Ironman: once they break through the mountains, their next attack comes in much stronger.
The doctrines guide and the combat width guide help you get more defense out of a six-division army.
Common Mistakes
- Playing without Götterdämmerung thinking the generic tree offers something similar — without the DLC there's no conditional Anschluss, no monarchist branch, none of what makes Austria interesting.
- Ignoring what Germany is doing — checking which ideology Germany is drifting toward (with the intelligence guide) completely changes which branch of your own tree is worth prioritizing.
- Spreading your army along the entire German border instead of concentrating the defense on the Jansa Plan's mountainous terrain.
Austria's Achievements
Five achievements specific to Austria, almost all tied to the tree's most extreme paths:
Antischluss
As Austria, control all German starting states.
No Friends, Only Family
As Austria or Hungary led by a Habsburg monarch, control the Swiss Plateau and have at least three other countries be led by a member of the Habsburg family.
Edelweiss Seedelweiss
As Austria, have a coastline, at least 10 battleships, and Georg von Trapp as an admiral.
Brentry
As Austria, Belgium, or the Netherlands, be the leader of the EU and have the United Kingdom join your faction.
Otto-man
As Austria or Hungary led by Otto von Habsburg, control the starting states of Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, plus Polish Galicia, Slovenia, and Croatia.