Kaiser und Konig und... Iblis?!

Japan demanded tribute and was paid off.



Week 21, an X-ray machine was completed, boosting the science program immensely. It brought back horrible memories of the Iblis', and as such, thousands were killed in his firey, paranoid state. There was plenty of barbecue for all.

Week 29, the Spanish were given blood money. It would be so satisfying to replace the Bourbon King with a Habsburg one some day. His skull was to be re-purposed as a cereal bowl.



The Intelligence Agency's completion meant the tech race was about to heat up.

With a liberal dose of theft, the Austrian Empire was back on its feet.



...oh of course Russia had to rain on the parade. They were bought off to avoid war.

The Balkans demanded tribute right afterward, but were swiftly rejected.

Week 45, the Argentines and Chileans signed a peace accord.

Week 49, the Brazilians launched a war against the British, hoping to relieve them of Guyana; the assault was a smashing success and a blow to British pride.



The last act of the year was saber-rattling, demanding Italy return Venice to Austria-Hungary. Italy capitulated, a huge victory for Habsburg forces. The Iblis was quite pleased, though he had hoped for more blood.

Much to Iblis' disapproval, a major painkiller known as Aspirin was developed in Buda in the opening days of 1897.



The World Fair was hosted in Buda, as part of the Iblis' master plan to create a peaceful appearance for Austria despite its military buildup. The many assembled cannon, for instance, were easily converted into fireworks machines..

Week 29, Japan signed an MPP with Siam, hoping to extend its influence in Asia.



Week 33, the Olympic Games were hosted, as part of the ploy of "world peace" the Archduke was proposing.

Week 37, the Americans demanded tribute and were paid off to avoid an economically-disruptive war. Not that they'd be much of a threat - Trieste's fleet was more than adequate for whatever came near.

France and Russia inked an MPP, as did Russia and the Boers.



Week 41, the world's first biplane was built by the Wright Brothers, who actually stole the design and idea from a little kid they beat up named Miles Prower.

The discovery paved the way for three new discoveries - the Radio, the Electron, and the Vacuum Tube.

Week 45, the French proposed an alliance. Tempting as it was, it had to be turned down - the Archduke did not need to be pulled into any colonial wars.



Week 45 also saw the first Transoceanic Radio Signal, by none other than Austria itself.

Week 49 was a quiet month, with analysts trying to guess how much damage an attack on Belgrade could hope to do. In the end, it was decided more artillery were needed.

Meanwhile, Austria had slipped to just 1% of the world's population. With emphasis on production rather than population, Austria had willingly neglected its stature.

However, other reports showed Austria's share of the global military power to continue to be increasing... Austria was 5th in the VP race at 202. Russia was at the top, at 244.

Scientists in Wien discovered the Electron in Week 5. Further east down the river, scientists in Buda perfected the Vacuum Tube. Both discoveries came together to give Austria a massive scientific boost.

Belgrade was reported to have 9 units. DEFINITELY more artillery were needed.



The Hohenzollerns demanded gold. One day, one day, Iblis promised, revenge would be obtained on them for what they did to Austria so many decades prior.

Week 29, the Dutch demanded Copper but were rejected.

Week 33, Italy declared war on Britain. There went Italy's colonies. More importantly, the idea of a limited front war suddenly gained steam - against Italy, the fleet would be of great use. Three VP locations were within easy reach! ...albeit guarded by a horde of infantry. But Bologna, further down Italy, was open to attack too.



Week 37, the Military Academy was built. This would allow better units to enable easier subjugation of enemy nations.



Northern Italy was once a part of the Holy Roman Empire. The Habsburgs had served for centuries as Holy Roman Emperors, right to the day the French upstart Napoleon dissolved the Empire. Regardless, northern Italy was the Austrians' birthright. The Austrians had always been the most noble of rulers; unlike the Germans and Russians, for instance, who enslaved the Polish and attempted to exterminate their culture, the Austrians embraced the Polish people and their culture as just the latest pearl on the imperial necklace. It was for this same reason, that of political unity over any ethnocentric nonsense, that Austria and Hungary's armies together numbered 70,000. The Imperial Army, meanwhile, loyal to the Emperor himself(not any polity), numbered 350,000.

With Iblis' blessing, Austria-Hungary would re-assert itself over former possessions and once more be the strongest nation in Europe in the world, as it had been under Charles V.

Later that month, ships were instructed to steam to Bologna and shell it. The small garrison was picked apart, with Howitzers dealing the rest.



With no losses, Bologna was seized, cutting Italy in half. Austrian war plans hinged on seizing Milan and then, depending on resistance encountered, pushing down toward Rome.

Attacks against Italian Trench Garissons met with success, sending the Italian Army into disarray. By month's end, 3 Trench/City Guards had been killed, along with 3 Italian Infantry and 2 Colonial Infantry. 4 Civil Engineers were dead, too.

Spies in Rome, meanwhile, gave a breakdown of Italian capabilities: 25 Infantry, 4 Cavalry, and 18 Col. Infantry. Meanwhile, Austria-Hungary boasted 9 Hungarian Infantry, 1 Austrian Infantry, 8 Cavalry, 3 Maxims, and a TON of artillery. The navy also was a bonus that could reduce any slow-moving forces to ruins. While the Italians had a numerical advantage in terms of Infantry, if they used too many against superior defenses, they'd leave their cities vulnerable. As such, strategy hinged on the Italians wasting many soldiers' lives in a foolish counterattack.

Week 41, not a single move was made by Italy. A cavalry luckily picked off one of the Italian Infantry. The Fleet remained bottled up, not wanting to give the Italians the first strike.

Week 45, Cavalry picked off 4 Italian Infantry in Milan. Each month, more artillery were crafted and Milan grew smaller. The clock was ticking, and then it'd be a refreshing stroll to Rome.

Growing wariness over Austrian power made the Germans ink an alliance with the Portuguese in Week 49. Spanish paranoia manifested as a false attempt to plant a spy. The Emperor replied, "We really should blow up one of our ships and blame you for it."



Despite their best efforts, Italy was defeated at Milan. 4 of 5 VP locations had been seized by Austria. Austrian industry and artillery had triumphed over Italy's numbers and population base. Plans were already being drawn up to replace irrigation canals with mines to extract resources and boost production. Furthermore, Italy had gone from 28 Infantry at its height to 16. Rome would be next on the target list.

Week 1, New Grenada joined the war against the British - Brazil, meanwhile, swiftly dropped out.

15 units guarded Rome, spies discovered. Fleets would need to get into position to attack such a strongly-protected foe. The K.u.K navy was instructed to pass through the Balkan waters.

The British managed to occupy Palermo in Week 5; this was worrying, as it meant the British now occupied an industrial position in the Mediterranean. Fortunately, not one equipped with industrial capabilities.

Week 9, a massive assault on Rome began, to wear down the weakened defenders once more. A Great Leader emerged in the process.



Alas, Rome's cute defenses were not enough.



They were outcuted by Iblis', you see.

Iblis had many a soul to feast on that night, with so many Italian soldiers butchered.

A raid of Taranto produced another Corps. Austria was well on its way to establish itself as a major power in Europe once again.



Despite Home Guard spam, the Italian defenses were crushed.

The Italian government fled to Sardinia, their sole remaining possession - Britain had put their African colonies on permanent lease. Not wanting to launch a naval invasion to take a worthless island, Iblis told the Emperor to make peace.



Italy relinquished all claims to the mainland - sans Sicily - paid its entire surplus, and also agreed to pay 45 of its 95 gpt to Austria for 20 months. Italy also formally changed its name to the Kingdom of Sicily and Sardinia as part of the relinquishing.

Italy was re-organised. Everything in Rome and north of it was integrated into the Austrian Empire, while everything in the poor, agrarian south was turned into the independent Kingdom of Naples, ruled by a member of the Austrian royal family.

With his newfound power, the Emperor was able to dissolve the dual monarchy, re-uniting Austria and Hungary into one unified monarchy once more. Many Hungarians resisted, but they were swiftly quelled by Iblis' fire. The Habsburg Monarchy disposed of its long-term foes in the Magyar nobility at home, and destroyed Italy as a threat abroad. Italy gave many rich, productive port cities to the Empire, and the K.u.K. navy would definitely approve of such. Now would come the next challenge - a conquest of Belgrade to settle the Bosnian question once and for all.

Week 13, war was declared on Britain; Sardinia had promised Sicily in exchange for aid. Desiring to curb ever-growing British Empire, the Emperor approved of the war.

The war would be a short affair(at least, according to plan) - Palermo's cavalry army would be butchered, and any British ships that came within range of Italy scuttled. Using local naval superiority, the Royal Navy would suffer massive losses and a treaty would be inked. Austria could then resume its business of gobbling up the rest of Europe.



While Sicily had always had a unique culture, it was taken to ridiculous proportions as the army stormed into Palermo and deposed the British military governorate. While in all of Italy the Austrians were resisted as oppressors, in Sicily, the Austrians were showered with gifts and hailed as liberators. Having concluded the treaty with Italy already, the island was added to the Kingdom of Naples, rechristened the Kingdom of Two Sicilies.

With three Corps - a third having spawned from the Battle of Palermo - under its control, Austria was a force to be reckoned with. While Maxims were starting to become commonplace, Austria's quality and quantity of troops, mixed with its artillery, was paving the way for great power status.

Week 17, to alleviate tensions on its eastern border and focus against militaristic Austria, Russia inked an alliance with Japan.



The K.u.K. artillery academy was built in Wien, allowing for better leadership.

The British landed 2 Cavalry and 2 Col. Sentries as part of a punitive expedition. They were quickly and cheaply massacred - 3 of them by Maxims no less, as part of an easy way to level up units.

With that, the High Command hatched a devilish idea - an open borders agreement was signed with France. For 17 gpt, France signed the pact - there was a hidden agreement that Austrian troops could base inside France.

All available artillery were rushed to the Channel.

British shipping constantly going in and out...




So far the list of targets was narrow, but no matter. 2 of 23 Majestic Battleships were sunk, a blow to the Royal Navy.

Week 21, 2 more Majestics were sunk, as well as lesser naval vessels. This brought them down to 21 Majestics again.

Week 25, the Brits attempted an amphibious invasion, and saw many Royal Marines killed. The Brits were thanked - ANOTHER leader spawned from the battle!

Meanwhile, Trieste built a Naval Academy, allowing Austria to build marines of its own.

Britain lost 2 Majestics, but had built its fleet up to 28 prior. The Brits were investing heavily in their navy only for the ships to be sunk.

Meanwhile, pre-emptive naval strikes killed 6 British units en route - some of them Cavalry.

Week 29, 10 Col. Cavalry were killed in transport.



Week 33, the Russians were madbro at Austria pwning Britain and so demanded a cut. They were paid off - Iblis has defenseless transports, often full with 3 or 4 units - cavalry at that - to sink!

Nearly 16 British troops were killed via sinking of convoys. Despite being a limited war, it was taking a bite out of British military power. The Brits started the war at nearly 100 Col. Cavalry, and were knocked down to 80. Several other troops, such as Indian Infantry, were casualties of the increasingly-expensive (for Britain) war. Every unit killed carried 25 gold in raw materials, and now they all lined the bottom of the ocean. At the very least, Libya's shipwreck raiding industry was booming.

Week 37, more transports and battleships were sunk in the Med and Channel. Plans were made for an invasion of Malta.

Week 41, 7 Majestics and 3 Transports were sent to Davy Jones' Locker. While Britain could replace the many units it was losing, it was gradually losing the arms race with Germany and France due to such massive losses.

Week 45, Britain made peace with New Granada, leaving Italy and Austria as the sole anti-British powers. This would mean the whole British fleet would come down on the Med. 5 Majestics were sunk, nonetheless.



Malta fell, 100 gold worth in raw materials captured in the process. The island's strategic location let it double as an artillery platform against British shipping - several cannon were smuggled onto the island to help with clearing the Med of the British fleet.



The war had lasted 32 weeks, but had greatly damaged British hegemony. Tens of thousands of British troops had been slaughtered, and only a few dozen Austrians by contrast. Even in the Channel, the Brits were not safe, losing large amounts of war material. Malta and Sicily's seizure damaged their standing in the Mediterranean, and also helped stem the growth of British power(which had been swelling with gains in Brazil and East Africa).

The Iblis ordered that the Balkans be liquidated next. With a much larger stack of artillery, it was predicted Belgrade would be easy prey despite its great defenses. From there, it would just be a slow conquest across the Balkans. Bosnia had proved to be a rather successful experiment thanks to Austrian velvet glove policies, and it was hoped to export this to the rest of the Balkans.

Week 49, China and America inked a pact.

Otherwise uneventful. All artillery were ready to go - the next century would see the fall of the Balkans, and the rest of Europe after that.

Russia declared war on the British in Week 1. Given the Russian position in Central Asia(which is now a colony) and China(also a colony now), this war could potentially bear fruit. Russian Cossacks and British manpower in India would collide.

War was declared upon the Balkan Alliance, a collection of states that had come together in the mid-1890s to try and check Turkish, Austrian, Italian, and Russian influence. WIth Italy's destruction, the balance had shifted, and the Balkans now lay open to assault. Russia and the Turks would remain complacent as the Austrians stormed all the way to Athens. With Russia fighting against the British in the Great Game, Turkey did not want to risk being swamped - navally it wouldn't stand a chance, and the Austrians had several professional Corps.

11 Rumanian Infantry and 1 City Guard unit protected Belgrade. A well-fortified city, Serbia was seen as a beacon of security for the Balkans. Athens, by contrast, had but 9 units to protect it. 4 in Pristina, 4 in Bukharest, and 6 in Kerkira. Greece and Serbia were the dominant partners of the alliance.

After redlining all of Belgrade's finest soldiers, the City Guards were unceremoniously disposed of via chlorine, removing the Balkans' trump card.



Captured at no losses, Belgrade's seizure was a huge blow to the morale of Balkan forces everywhere. Artillery and forward armies were moved to attack Pristina, dispersing worker bands as they went.

With that, the naval war commenced. 5 Balkan torpedo boats were sunk off the coast of Sicily.



Meanwhile, the main Balkan fleets remained concentrated to the east. Battleships were ordered to dispose of the Balkan navy. Once their fleets lay at the bottom of the ocean, seizure of Greece and Albania would be much easier.

The task was easily accomplished.

Week 5, Japan and Central America declared war on Britain.



Serbia was conquered without loss. The Balkan alliance was cut in half. Talks began of what to do with Serbia - integrate it into the Austrian Empire, or allow it to retain independence.



Albania was conquered next. To pacify the mostly-Muslim population, the right to freedom of religion was re-affirmed. After all, the reason Austria had once lost so much to the Turks had been their hatred of non-Catholic Christians, whereas the Turks had embraced them. An enlightened despotism would have the masses enjoy plenty of personal freedom and quality of life, yet concentrate enough power in a small group to enable rapid, efficient decision-making.



Romania couldn't withstand the onslaught, brushed aside. Only central and southern Greece remained free of Austrian occupation. The government in Athens made appeal after appeal for peace, but were rejected. All of the Balkans would be crushed beneath the weight of Austria's boots, and the Iblis would feed upon hundreds of thousands of souls.



Iblis' appetite was greatly sated with the battle of Athens. So many lives snuffed out by the Austrian banhammer.

What remained of the Balkan armies would eventually fall prey to desertion, mutiny and infighting. Many returned to civilian life, while a few became petty criminals. Some went on to become terrorist organisations such as the Black Hand, but they were marginalised no matter where they went. The Austrians reigned supreme.

The decision was made to re-organise the entirety of the Balkans and all of Austria's clients into the United States of Austria. This union promised great power to the ethnic minorities, but also preserved majority rule, and more importantly, the rule of the Emperor. As the ruler of the third largest industrial state in the world (at 17 cities to America's 21 and Russia's 41), he enjoyed a great international stature, also being undisputed overlord of the Central Mediterranean.

As wine and champagne flowed at parties commemorating the defeat of the Balkans and the founding of the USGA, the Emperor and Iblis were already mapping out the next phase of expansion. Iblis suggested - that is, ordered lest he eat the Emperor's face - that the original plan of disposing of the Lowlands and Portugal be accomplished. But Europe was already wary of Austrian power already, and the Anglo-Russian War would surely end if Austria took a foothold right next to London.

When it was discovered the Dutch had 8 months left on the NAP signed during the Maltese War, Iblis was furious and ritually executed several bystanders in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Instead, it was decided to make war on the Spanish. A former Austrian possession, they were another claim to fame. The false Bourbons had to be removed, and as such, plans were made to masquerade Austrian soldiers as various nationalist factions and have them undermine Spain from within.

Madrid was reported to have 16 defenders. Santander - 11. Huesca - 5. Barcelona - 11. Cartagena - 16. Meanwhile, the USGA wielded 75 Howitzers, 7 Field Guns, and 21 Horse Artillery batteries. And a fleet of 25 battleships was right off the coast of Barcelona, barely inside Italian territorial waters.

"Rebels" proceeded to hammer Barcelona with their recently-acquired, shiny navy. Free Catalonia and all that jazz.

...or not! It turns out a Timber deal still was going and it would last for 3 more turns. As such, the invasion was put off until it expired.

Week 21, the 1905-1914 tech era was entered. A beeline was made towards a second wonder cascade!

Iblis, meanwhile, planned massive reforms throughout the Balkans - at the cost of millions of human lives, of course! Countless would toil - and likely die on the job - to destroy the irrigation canals and replace them with mines. Population would fall, but Austrian industry would surge through the roof, turning the Balkans from a place rife with ethnic conflict, to one rich in resources. Or some such. Many questioned how the heck that worked, but were soon stripped down to their bones by a pair of laser beams from the Dark Lord's eyes; said bones, charred black, then disintegrated into piles of ash.

Week 29, the Spanish sensed something wrong. They inked an alliance with Chile and La Plata accordingly.

The Lowlands and Japan also inked a pact.



Barcelona was liberated by the "Catalan rebels." Spain's large garisson there, meant to oppress the children of Aragon, virtually melted away under artillery fire.

With that, the Basques were next to be liberated. Huesca, a lightly-defended town, was extensively shelled.



With Navarre liberated by its own rebels, Spain was cut off from the rest of Europe. As such, all the other Austrian cities weren't in need of large garrisons - they could all be funneled into Spain and form a giant wall of death advancing on Madrid.

Seven Corps of the Empire were all tasked with protecting the occupied zones, artillery groups, and some even went to assault Madrid itself, or rather, protect troops advancing on it. If Madrid fell, Spain would be done for.

Cartagena must have had at least twenty divisions within it, but alas, hundreds of thousands of dead Spanish soldiers was not enough to hold off the Austrian onslaught. As Iblis collected souls, his swirly eyes settled on his next target: Madrid.

Week 37, the British conquered Sardinia. Plans were made to remove them.



Madrid's fall sent shockwaves through the Spanish Empire. Though much of the Royal Family fled overseas, the King refused to retreat to safety, instead making his capital in Santander. He said he would not leave Spain until every Spanish individual who wished to leave was also taken.

Week 41, Britain and Russia ended their bloody war, which had seen a drop in British power despite their seizure of Dushanbe.



Spain was evicted from its own homeland, and the King was captured; he refused to head a Spanish puppet state so was instead held a prisoner in a ducal palace elsewhere as a bargain chip. He did make sure to officially abdicate just minutes prior to his capture, allowing his heir to take control of the Spanish state from the new capital in Manila.

Spain refused to surrender, even with the former King a prisoner. Ah well.

Week 49, the Portuguese requested an alliance, sensing a firey wind.

Lisbon was reported as having 13 divisions; Porto also at 13. They had 26 units. But Austria had 99 Howitzers with further artillery support. Britain was blocking Gibraltar like a bunch of jerks and as such, naval support was unavailable. The Iblis sent a rain of hail and fire down upon the Portuguese, mostly for the lulz.



Porto was easily seized in a lightning assault.



Lisbon, while larger, didn't fare much better, as artillery butchered much of its population. The government fled to Macau; unlike the Spanish King, the Portuguese monarch fled. He would soon be assassinated an a loose asscoation of nations formed between the constituent republics of Azores, Madeira, Cape Verde, Bissau, Angola, Mozambique, Goa, Timor and Macau.

Maps and battle plans were being drawn up in the Imperial Palace in Vienna, all dealing with one foe: Perfidious Albion, better known as the "British Empire." The British colossus had lorded over the world for too long, and it was time for them to stumble and let another power take their place. Destruction of the British Empire would leave the world a competitive place, one where the United States, France, Germany, Russia, and Austria would compete with it for hegemony. A multipolar world, would be inherently more stable, as much as British media tried to overhype Britain's role in global stability.

The Turks and Mahdiyah, meanwhile, inked an MPP, unifying the Sunni Muslim world.

Germany and Japan inked an MPP as well, after Japan ended its war with Britain.



Albert Einstein published his Theory of Relativity, meanwhile.



Madeira's puny defenses were no match for the K.u.K. navy.



Spain agreed to a treaty, not wanting to lose the Canaries too.

The Turks and the Lowlands inked an MPP in Week 9, sensing they were both next.



The Azores were seized, evicting Portugal from its Industrial territories forever. Soon, war could be made on Britain, but in the meantime, there'd be a massive Industrial buildup to support the war effort.

Peace was inked with Chile and La Plata, and so only Portugal would need to be reined in...

Portugal soon paid 960 gold, and Austria was once more at peace. But a new war would soon start, one to topple the British hegemony.

Week 17, the furry overlord helped teach the Emperor how to control his less-intelligent animal subjects.

With that, Industrialisation II was discovered.

The Emperor demanded British remove its troops; Britain naturally declared war. They were soon against the wall, with every major power on Earth going against them. Rights of passage were signed with the alliance; this effectively meant that peace with Britain was war with Austria.

Britain remained at peace with Mexico and the USA; it was reasoned that involving either would result in either an Industrial Canada, or an engorged United States.

With that, artillery all over Europe opened fire without warning on British positions, sinking numerous battleships, hundreds of billions in raw materials, and troops.

While this went on, hundreds of thousands of people were being worked to death throughout Iberia and the Balkans, enormous economic growth coming at a horrible human cost.

Come Week 21, the British position on the power bar had contracted nearly 10% - the global alliance had torn the Brits apart. Hong Kong fell to the Chinese. Kenya and Uganda to the Mahdists and Germans. De Aar to the Boers.

Week 25, China broke into celebrations at the reconquest of Shanghai. With Britain evicted from China, propogandists began to play it up as a revival of Chinese supremacy.

Reports, meanwhile, showed the Channel to be clear of the Royal Navy, and cluttered with French, German, and Dutch vessels. Plans were made for the K.u.K. navy to draw in close and begin bombardment of the coastline so as to cripple the British economy.



While the primary plan of the war was to sit back and let the allied nations take heavy casualties - allowing Austria to swoop in after a long, bloody war and seize much weaker nations - while providing artillery support, Egypt was too tempting a target to pass up. Iblis demanded conquest of the Nile, so he could seek out his archfoe, Enerjak.


Link to video.

Never mind, he felt the need to bring supernatural disaster upon them.



Week 29, Cairo itself fell to Austrian arms. Pushed out of Egypt, the British government there fled to Sudan instead, now being swarmed by Mahdist, French and Austrian troops.



Sudan itself fell in Week 33, or at least the bulk of it. The Mahdists ran free in the southern and central regions, while the British confined themselves to Suakin.



What the war had started over - Sardinia - was itself occupied in Week 33. The Italians welcomed the Austrians as liberators, ironically enough. All naval artillery, meanwhile, moved westward to hammer Gibraltar.

Week 37, the navy pounded the Land's End, disconnecting Plymouth from the rest of Britain. In India, the Tibetans and Persians were making steady advances, undermining Britain's most important possession. Once Egypt was done for, plans were made to land troops in the Middle East and move against Britain in India as well.

Sawakin would soon fall as well, ending the British presence in Sudan. Troops were ordered to continue the push into Eritrea.

Week 41, France and Germany aligned in an MPP, serving as a deterrent to Austrian power. Russia likewise allied with Mahdiyah.

As the shelling of Britain continued, Asmara was shelled by the Red Sea fleet. The 7 Col. Infantry present were turned into hamburger; this would allow the French and German forces to weaken the defenses.



Week 45, the second World Fair was hosted in Vienna.



Iblis systematically exterminated ove 1/5 of Eritrea's inhabitants before the region was seized. With plenty of spare artillery, he decided to make it rain fire for craps and giggles.

Meanwhile, 2 Corps were landed on the British Isles. Their task - destroy all infrastructure that was inland. Once the Coal and Iron were severed, the British navy would suffer horribly.



The discovery of genetics would enable the mutation of humans into Mobians. But such a thing would come later... In the meantime, AIRSHIPS were unlocked.



The Motion Picture Industry boosted revenues and culture empire-wide.