The Five Stages of Grief, an Austrian AAR: Denial

Austria, 1936. Crippled after the Great War, living in the new German Reich's shadow. Hitler has been spreading ideas of Anschluss, or the Unification of Germans. This cannot happen.

We must build up our industry if we want to be able to build our defenses, and to make the Austrian people economically comfortable and loyal.

If the Reich seeks to take us by force, we will fight in the trenches.

However, we hope to make ourselves economic allies to the Reich. They will not attack if we are valuable to them.

Just in case, we have established a Grand Plan. While Tyrol and Salzburg will need to be sacrificed, most of Austria will be safe as our men fight in the mountains.

For this Guerrilla warfare, however, we need a man skilled in the tactic.

Factories for producing consumer goods along with building materials are being erected across the country.

The Reich have ignored the treaty of Versailles. It is unknown which is more worrying, the fact that Hitler nonchalantly ignored the treaty which protects our independence, or the French and English dismissive response to it.

We must integrate radios further into our military and command structure.

We must not ignore the politics of the people, or we will fall before Hitler decides he wants to send an ambassador.

Ernst Kaltenbrunner, a defensive expert, has been hired to advise our nation on how to best fortify ourselves. His suggestion? Our own Maginot line.

Computers predicting different outcomes and breaking codes will be very helpful, even in peacetime. We have named this "Project Ferdinand".

Hungary seeks a renewal of the Rome Protocols! Of course we agree to this, any economic help we can get is a great boon.

We have started to actively discourage Pro-Reich sentiment, attempting to de-radicalize the populace. If this will be successful, we do not know.

We have started to conscript small amounts of the population. We need a larger standing army.

The Olympics! While we won 4 gold medals, a slight damper was Adolf Hitler's overt call for Anschluss across the games.

France and England have declared an alliance. Perhaps they now fear the Nazi giant as well.

In these times of growing tensions, perhaps announcing our neutrality will be for the best. Hitler would not dare make a move towards a neutral nation, even in his nationalistic fervor. They must have learned their lesson from the Great War, as we have.

The Hungarians have seen our declaration of Neutrality, and have backed it with a guarantee.

We are publicizing our "Austrian Maginot" across Europe, to ensure that we will not be assaulted by even the most Fool hardy of power mongers.

Dr. Rendulic has been hired as another advisor to Austria. When has more general knowledge, but should be able to help us with preparing our defence as well.

To increase Independent Austrian sentiment among the working population, the work hour has been lowered. While we may need to get used to this, with lowered production for a time, this Pro-Government feeling is crucial.

Our army needs to grow and adapt along with our industry. This is a changing world, with changing weapons.

We have been invited to a military alliance, along with the Italians from Hungary. While the Italians may agree, we will stay neutral. We do not want to be caught up in any conflicts not important to Austria.

The supply shortages are over thanks to the growth of our industry! Let us train our boys!

We must have a better system for strategic and tactical research.

Eugen Beyer, a mountaineer, has risen to the task to advise us on their place in the army. He advises expanding their numbers.

The Polish have announced a new Baltic alliance. How this will fare, we will see.

Our research on strategy must continue.

The Spanish civil war is over. Nationalists have risen supreme. Perhaps Fascism will reign over Europe. All we know is that it will not reign over Austria.

Otto Meyer, a SS defector, has joined our ranks. We have promoted him immediately to Field Marshal, as he knows the German army better than any other.

We shall continue to construct more homes and factories for our people.

Wilhelm Zehner has been hired. He is an expert at organizing armies.

We must build roads and railways. A dirt road is no longer the way of the future.

As we have had our roads upgraded, and rails placed, we shall have them made to be state of the art.

Project Ferdinand has born fruit. We know what Hitler plans.

We have less than Seventy days.

We must start a new university in Vienna, the Ultimatum in imminent.

The demands have arrived.

Our answer?

We deny Hitler.