Mod «Eye of the Hurricane: A Central European Expansion» for Hearts of Iron 4 (v1.11.1 - 1.11.9)

Welcome to the Eye of the Hurricane Mod! I made this mod over the course of several months, complete with research. I tried hard to make it so that it corresponded as closely to Paradox's design values as possible. If you have any questions, bug reports, or recommendations, please let me know!

Eye of the Hurricane is an expansion pack style mod for the Central European countries of Switzerland and Austria with unique focus trees and events as well as an upgraded historical roster. Where there were no historical facts available (Swiss battleships for example) I went ahead and gave them some plausible sounding names.

Switzerland

Sitting in one of the most defensible positions on the planet, Switzerland has used its central location to great effect for many years. Known for their staunch neutrality and reliability, Switzerland has become a favoured place for banking. However, while Switzerland has not fought in an external for over a hundred years the climate suggests that perhaps Switzerland may be forced to fight regardless of its wishes. Increasingly hostile rhetoric from Germany has many Swiss fearful of a forceful attempt to re-integrate them as “breakaway” Germans. In addition, the Swiss position makes them an excellent target for attempted army crossings in an attempt to bypass the main defences of either Germany or France, making both sides potential enemies. The introduction of aircraft means that Switzerland must now also prepare themselves to defend their skies as well as their land. Not all threats come from external sources however, within Switzerland itself there are forces who would like nothing more than to end Swiss neutrality and join the fight. Should Switzerland wish to protect its sovereignty, it will have its work cut out for itself.

Austria

Of all the central powers, the Austro-Hungarian Empire likely suffered the most. The new state of Austria was a shadow of its former self, an empire’s administrative center without an empire to administrate. Many within Austria itself doubt the country’s ability to survive on its own, and the crippling requirements of the Treaty of St. Germain do not help matters. The Great Depression hit Austria harder than most, who were already having trouble recovering from the Great War. Societal tensions came to a head in 1933 when the ruling Christian Socials faced a potential loss at the ballot to the liberal Social Democrats, partially due to Nazis taking away their far-right members. Rather than risk this, Chancellor Dolfuss suspended the Austrian Parliament. In February of 1934, the paramilitary group “Heimwehr” cracked down on Social Democrats and their paramilitary group, the Schutzbund. The 1934 civil war ended quickly, driving the Social Democrats into hiding, but all was not well. In July, the Austrian Nazis, backed by Germany, attempted a coup. Only the quick reaction of the government and the intervention of Italy saved Austria from annexation. However, Dolfuss was killed and Schuschnigg now took his place. Since the events of 1934, the Austrian government has struggled to make inroads among either its people or among foreign governments. The Vaterländische Front remains unpopular and while the most vocal Nazis are gone, many Austrians still wish for unification with Germany. Italy, once the staunch protector of Austria, has become diplomatically isolated due to their invasion of Abyssinia, driving them closer to Germany. Should Austria wish to survive, they will have to make in-roads somewhere.

KNOWN ISSUES:

Repeatedly raising/dismissing the Swiss militia will grant you endless manpower. This bug has to do with variables and has to be fixed by PDX themselves.

In order to keep the game's aesthetic, I will not be using any pictures for portraits, as I feel it always pulls me out. If you wish to offer a portrait that fits in with the game's art style, for any of the characters without a picture, I will happily use it. Sadly my art skills do not go that far.

• Ulriche Wille Jr. is now properly both advisor and corps commander.

Version 12.03.22 for Hearts of Iron 4 (v1.11.1 - 1.11.9)

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