Note: This article requires a basic knowledge of the game Hearts of Iron IV, its interface and mechanics. Watch some tutorials here or here.
A few years ago, I posted playthroughs and strategy guides for minor nations in the historical game Hearts of Iron IV. I’ve been a fan of the series since its inception and even though IV came out in 2016, it’s still hugely popular. Paradox Interactive updates it often and new DLC comes out fairly regularly. Every once in a while I’ll come back to it and there’s always something new to discover.
Part of the fun is to imagine alternative histories. What if communism was overthrown in Russia? What if the Kaiser returned to Germany? What if India became independent and sided with the Axis? What if Germany annexed Austria in 1936 instead of 1938? With HOI4, you can do it.
HOI4 outlines many of these alternative histories in a branching decision tree called a Focus Tree, where you can guide your nation’s development more or less along a historical path or forge your own way. If you play as Germany, you have a whole branch devoted to territorial expansion. You need to reach certain military thresholds to unlock decisions in this branch to reflect the slow buildup and expansion of Germany from 1936 to 1939.
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