Hearts of Iron IV News

Hello everyone, it's again the time to give you a glimpse into the fun stuff we've been doing from the tech side. You know, in addition to implementing the new features. This time around, I (PDXen) got the honour to write the Dev Diary.

I'm gonna start off with some outdated news from the past: Did you know that we did a performance pass on Trial of Allegiance? I honestly hope that you didn't. Being a country pack, we never intended to improve the performance but we did make improvements to counter the influx of data that happens when we add more content.

But I know you don't want to listen to ramblings about the past. So let's get started on what we've done this time. While we've taken time to look at the performance and improve parts of it, we've also added some new generic features that we hope our modders will like.

[h2]Performance[/h2]
I'm gonna be brutally honest with you from the start: The performance goal of this DLC was to not decay performance. (Un)fortunately, this doesn't mean we can lean back and ignore it. More content and new features all add to the computations we need to run and I wanted all the new stuff to happen at net-zero performance cost. Essentially, the same thing as for Trial of Allegiance, but with much more. So we had to do something to maintain the status quo with performance.

So whenever our performance tracking indicated a slowdown for the first time I took a look at what we could optimize and became a bit disheartened. The French Paradox did a very good job at parallelising much of our code for AAT. There were not many easy options for parallelisation left but we managed to identify a few places. Even on our machines with quite a lot of cores, this wasn’t enough so we took a step back and looked at optimizing the sequential parts of the code. I hope this is quite good news for all of us that run on hardware with fewer cores.

The hunt for optimization opportunities led to looking at old systems that now had more data and the uncharted lands of legacy code. I’m just gonna give you a few tidbits of old systems that we found interesting assumptions about the data in or simply interesting ways of solving it.

[h3]Focuses[/h3]
I imagine some of you have been with us from the start. Do you remember the size of the original focus trees? And for those of you who don't, simply open up the generic tree to get an idea. Over the years, we've had a large influx of focuses in the focus trees. For example, we have ~60 in the generic focus tree compared to the ~180 national focuses in Belgium, not counting the Belgian-Congo part. And the size of the Belgium focus tree doesn't even compare to the new German one (which is somewhere between 350 and 400 focuses).

The new German focus tree with 350-400 focuses, which I couldn’t even fit into a 2k screen.

The new Belgium focus tree with ~180 focuses.

The Haiti docs tree is using the generic focus tree with ~60 focuses

The size in itself is not that much of a problem since you generally don’t have the focus tree open at all times. However, we have a nifty functionality to bypass focus. Over time this function has taken more and more performance to run. Guess why? It checked every single focus in the game, every single time. At some point in time that might not have been an issue but with the size of the current focus trees? The good thing is that it’s not as bad anymore. We now only check the focus that has a remote chance of being bypassed.

[h3]Dynamic memory and paralelism[/h3]
When we started looking at the sequential parts of our parallel code we found a quite interesting trend. There's a lot of dynamic memory allocation. Now every time we do something that requires dynamic memory allocation, the operative system may grab a global lock. Essentially, risking the algorithm to become at least partially sequential. Finding this caused a period of going through the code and eliminating the worst of these dynamic memory allocations.

[h3]Hidden AAT Inefficiencies[/h3]
AAT was the expansion that optimized HoI4 (in modern times). Now there’s a drawback with the drastically improved performance: All the inefficiencies from the new systems in AAT were hidden by the drastic improvements in the rest of the game. A lot of old content was optimized by a large margin, and as a result new performance overhead simply got lost in the steadily improving numbers. For example, on my machine disabling the international market automation saved me 2ms per daily update. It’s not a lot (about 0.5% of the overall performance on my machine). But for market automation? Good news, it’s way less now. Bad news, you can still improve performance a very small amount by disabling it (though, manually clicking will have way worse performance in terms of speed).

Another hidden inefficiency that we’ve found is the increase in the number of equipment variants. Before, there was a very limited amount of equipment variants in a game but now, there’s a lot of them. Every single MIO update can create a multitude of different variants. And not to mention that International Market and Lend Lease pass these variants around in the game. Now throughout the code base, there are a lot of things that interact with equipment. Every interaction wasn’t adding much but all put together, that’s quite a bit. I won’t say that variants are free but please go ahead and add more, there should be less performance impact now than before at least.

[h2]Modding[/h2]
Now let’s leave the area of performance and continue with some other things we’ve looked at from the tech side: New fancy modding stuff. During the development, I got a bit fed up with requests for support for new tooltips. So we sat down and thought: How can we get content developers to write the tooltips themselves? While we couldn't backport Jomini to HoI4, we took some inspiration and made it possible to write more complex tooltips in the GUI and script files.

[h3]Localization, localization and localization[/h3]
If you have looked into our localization files before, you've probably noticed something like the following:

SCIENTIST_ROSTER_SORT_BUTTON_TOOLTIP: "§YClick§! to sort according to $REASON|Y$"

Traditionally, this meant that `REASON` was replaced with something that was provided by the game (i.e. not scripteD). In many cases, these variables were just replaced with some other localized string. So to avoid having to update the source code every time we wanted to change this, we introduced a new concept to the scripting language: Bound localization.

Bound localization simply allows you to bind variables to the localization from script. So instead of opening up the source code, we can now simply update the script files like the following:

bound_tooltip = {
    localization_key = SCIENTIST_ROSTER_SORT_BUTTON_TOOLTIP
    REASON = SCIENTIST_ROSTER_SORT_BY_NAME_REASON
}

The localization for the sort by name button injects the sort key from script to localization.

Oh, and did I mention that it’s recursive so you can do stuff like this if you want to:

bound_tooltip = {
    localization_key = SCIENTIST_ROSTER_SORT_BUTTON_TOOLTIP
    REASON = {
        localization_key = COLOR_GREEN
        DATA = SCIENTIST_ROSTER_SORT_BY_NAME_REASON
    }
}

Naturally, doing this was opening up Pandora's box with requests from some content developers so we continued a bit more to push the boundaries. For example, in the German focus tree we can find the following odd syntax:

custom_effect_tooltip = {
    localization_key = building_state_modifier|dam
    INDENT = "    "
}

The custom effect tooltip that shows the state modifiers for a dam with a custom indentation to fit this very specific tooltip.

This adds another new concept we introduced: localization formatters. Essentially, it allows you to get a localized text property of some static token (in this case then state modifiers for
the `dam` building). You’ll recognize a text formatter when you see a localization key that has the format `|`. Some of the formatters also take some parameters (such as the `INDENT` in the example above). The benefit of using these over new tooltip overrides for effects or triggers is that the localization formatters are usable in every place a bound localization is usable (some might require that it’s localized with some context but that should be documented).

One of the main drawbacks with the new things we add, is that you can in general only use it in specific places that is pointed out from source code. Unfortunately, this still holds for the new stuff but the goal was for fewer requests for tooltips so we made some effort to make it a bit more usable. For example, you can use this in the very much (ab)used `custom_effect_tooltip` effect, `custom_trigger_tooltip` trigger as well as in some of the new places (see for example, the building database). But the main thing is that we added support for this in GUI files.

All our GUItypes now support the new tooltip `bound_tooltip` construct. If you use this, then you'll be able to use the bound localization. And maybe more interesting is the `context_aware_tooltip` construct that is a bound localization but it will be localized with a context so you can use contextual localization. Unfortunately, this requires us to provide the context from the source so mostly new places support this (and we try to document it in the GUI files, when and where it is supported). Note that this is recursive so if a parent object is localized with a context, then all children objects will be localized with the same context.

We'll come back to this in a short while when digging into the tech behind the new inner circle GUI in the focus tree.

[h3]Naming is Hard[/h3]
Imagine that you have a province or state that, depending on who you ask, has a different name. For techs, equipment and a lot of other things we’ve had the support to add country specific names (we call it cosmetic tags) by simply adding the countries tag before the name of it. Now we’ve added the same support to province and state names as well.

We can take Turku as an example, this Finish area has both a Finish and a Swedish name (Turku being the name in Finish and Åbo is the name in Swedish). Before we had quite some script to change the name of the state depending on its owner but now we simply have to prefix the name with the correct country tag in the localization file:

 STATE_926: "Turku" # Default name
 SWE_STATE_926: "Åbo" # Cosmetic name for when Sweden owns the state

The state of Turku (i.e. Finland owns the state).

The state of Åbo (i.e. Sweden owns the state).

[h3]Focus Navigation[/h3]
More national focus means more fun, right? But at some point it just becomes hard to navigate the focus tree. Fear not, we’ve added an option to add navigation shortcuts to focus trees. The new German tree has 6 different navigation icons (as of me writing this).

The focus navigation tabs for the new German tree.

If we click for example the “Economy” navigation tab, then we’ll be moved to the economy section of the tree with a nice zoom level for it. Naturally, this is completely scriptable so you can modify the focus trees to your liking for your mods.

[h3]Focus Inlay Windows[/h3]
You've probably seen the Inner Circle GUI in another Dev Diary by now, but did you know that the whole GUI is written in script, and it doesn’t contain a single scripted GUI window? The inner circle is the first usage of what we call focus inlay window. A focus inlay window is, similar to the continuous focus window, a GUI object that is drawn inside the focus tree view..

Let’s go through an example: We want to display all the potential members of the Nordic Defence Council and if they have joined. For some reason it’s also very critical for us that we show the leaders of the countries. Something like the following:

A focus inlay window to show the potential members of The Nordic Defense Council with access to the joint focus tree.

When defining a new inlay window, there's three main components that you need to implement: The inlay window definition; the GUI definition; and add it to the focus tree(s) it should be shown. Let's start with the completely new construct, the inlay window definition.

As for most components in HoI4 different databases have different folders and so has this. The inlay windows are located in the `game/common/focus_inlay_windows/` and we can throw up the first definition of the inlay window as follows:

nordic_alliance_inlay_window = {
    window_name = nordic_alliance_ui_window
}

This is actually a minimum working example for a focus inlay window definition. We've now a new inlay window with ID `nordic_alliance_inlay_window` that points to a container window named `nordic_alliance_ui_window`. Let's continue with adding more stuff to this later on and continue with the GUI itself.

guiTypes = {
    containerWindowType = {
        name = nordic_alliance_ui_window
        orientation = lower_left
        size = {width = 400 height = 450 }
        clipping = no # Never clip in focus inlay windows due to some legacy bugs

        background = {
            name = background
            quadTextureSprite = "GFX_tiled_window_1b_border"
            alwaystransparent = yes
        }

        instantTextBoxType = {
            name ="faction_name"
            orientation = upper_left
            position = { x = 0 y = 20 }
            font = "hoi_36header"
            context_aware_text = [Country.GetFactionName]
            format = center
            maxWidth = 400
        }

        iconType = {
            name = "sweden_frame"
            spriteType = "GFX_ascended_advisors_unappointed_frame"
            orientation = upper_left
            position = { x=55 y=107 }
            centerPosition = yes
            scale = 0.4
        }
        iconType = {
            name = "Sweden"
            spriteType = GFX_blank_leader_portrait
            orientation = upper_left
            position = { x = 40 y = 90}
            context_aware_tooltip = [SWE.GetLeader]
            scale = 0.2
        }
        instantTextBoxType = {
            name = "sweden_text"
            orientation = upper_left
            position = {x = 100 y = 105 }
            context_aware_text = {
                localization_key = NORDIC_COUNCIL_MEMBER
                IN_FACTION = [SWE.NordicCouncilMemberInFaction]
                COUNTRY = [SWE.GetNameWithFlag]
            }
        }
        # Below are copies for the Sweden entries adapted for the rest of the Nordic countries.
        [...]

The GUI components aren't anything new, but I've thrown in some of the new localization capabilities to give you an example. Since all focus inlay windows are localised with the focus tree country as the context, we're free to use all the new fancy stuff when writing the localization. We have one `context_aware_text` that uses the contextual localization to grab the faction name. Another that uses bound localization to localise `NORDIC_COUNCIL_MEMBER` with the parameters `IN_FACTION` and `COUNTRY` with the result from localising `[SWE.NordicCouncilMemberInFaction]` and `[SWE.GetNameWithFlag]`, respectively. I’ve also thrown in a `context_aware_tooltip` to get the name of the leader when hovering over the portrait.

While we're at it, we can complete the localization by adding the following scripted localization to the game (in `game/common/scripted_localisation`):

defined_text = {
    name = NordicCouncilMemberInFaction
    text = {
        trigger = {
            is_in_faction_with = ROOT
        }
        localization_key = TRIGGER_FULLFILLED_PREFIX
    }
    text = {
        trigger = {
            always = yes
        }
        localization_key = TRIGGER_UNFULLFILLED_PREFIX
    }
}

And add the localization key `NORDIC_COUNCIL_MEMBER` to a loc file:

NORDIC_COUNCIL_MEMBER: "$IN_FACTION$ $COUNTRY|Y$ has joined"

With the localization done we only need to fix the portraits of the country leaders. Defining dynamic images for focus inlay windows is done in the focus inlay window definition:

nordic_alliance_inlay_window = {
    window_name = nordic_alliance_ui_window

    scripted_images = {
        Sweden = {
            GFX_portrait_SWE_per_albin_hansson = {
                SWE = {
                    has_country_leader = {
                        ruling_only = yes
                        character = SWE_per_albin_hansson
                    }
                }
            }
            GFX_blank_leader_portrait = yes
        }
        # Insert definitions for the rest of the nordic countries below
        [...]

The `scripted_images` entry contains a list of image definitions that will be used in the focus inlay window. In this case, the icon named `Sweden` will have its image replaced with `GFX_portrait_SWE_per_albin_hansson` if Swedens’ current country leader is `SWE_per_albin_hansson`. If this doesn’t hold, then the next entry in `Sweden` will be checked and so on until something that evaluates to true is encountered. The last entry in this example (`GFX_blank_leader_portrait`) always evaluates to true and is therefore the default image if no other is true.

Now there’s only some final touches to be made. Firstly, we’ll restrict the inlay window to only be shown if the country has formed (or joined) a Nordic joint alliance (i.e. has completed the `NORDIC_form_joint_alliance`. Secondly, we’ll set the window to only be visible to the country owning the focus tree (so no other player can view it).

nordic_alliance_inlay_window = {
    window_name = nordic_alliance_ui_window
    internal = yes

    visible = {
        has_completed_focus = NORDIC_form_joint_alliance
    }
    [...]
}

That’s it, really. We’ve now completely defined a focus inlay window. All that remains to do is to add it to the relevant focus trees:

focus_tree = {
    id = sweden_focus
    [...]
    inlay_window = {
        id = nordic_alliance_inlay_window
        position = { x = 6500 y = 1000 }
    }
    [...]
}

I really look forward to seeing all the cool stuff you can come up with the focus inlay windows. And I hope you all enjoy the new modding constructs.

Happy modding!




Make sure to check out the Expansion Pass Here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3152810/Hearts_of_Iron_IV_Expansion_Pass_1

Hallo, wie geht es dir?

[previewyoutube]video here[/previewyoutube]

Stay tuned for tomorrow, Thursday November 7th, that there will be a Dev AMA over on Reddit!

Paradox_Danne here one last time to guide you through the final German Dev Diary before Götterdämmerung drops and you can experience all of this first hand. Buckle up, because today we’re diving into German alt-history! Before we get started though, let’s have one last look at the old German Focus Tree and then compare it with the new one.

The Old German Focus Tree has served us well over the years

But it’s time to let a new German Tree sprout

As you can see, the new German Focus Tree is something of a behemoth and by far the largest Tree in the game. If you’ve read the previous two Dev Diaries about the Historical branches and the German systems (if not, stop reading this and head over there immediately!) most of you will recognize a lot of this, but there’s uncharted territory here as well. Hoist your proverbial sails and let’s see where the current takes us as we explore Germany’s alt-history.
But a word of warning before we cast off; all you are about to see is very much a work in progress, which means things might and will change.

Germany’s democrats and monarchists have received more to do and are now even accompanied by the communists

As you might be able to tell, the alt-historical branch has been greatly expanded upon and offers a wide range of different playstyles for Germany. One thing that remains the same though is the actual Civil War. We decided very early on not to expand this bit or alter it all that much; we reasoned that if you want to play alt-history you want the Civil War to begin and end as soon as possible. So it’s very much straight to the point still (with maybe one or two new minor surprises). Before moving on to the various political paths, let’s talk about the few Civil War-centric focuses there are.

After starting the Civil War you have a few focuses to help you through these dark times

With the Civil War tearing Germany apart, you can Rally the Nation to bring down the Nazis faster and Rebuild the Nation to help your industries recover faster, which then can be expedited with Revitalize the Nation. All of this should bolster Germany and help it recover quickly to move on to other things, such as tending to the future and deciding what kind of politics you want to pursue.

[h2]Democracy or Monarchism[/h2]
The Democratic and Monarchist paths share most focuses but cater to different playstyles while not excluding any of them

You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to quickly deduce that the Democratic and Monarchist branches share almost all focuses between them. This of course means you can be hyper-aggressive as a Democratic Germany, or become the saviour of East Europe as the Kaiser and fend off Soviet aggression. This has been done to offer different ways of playing Germany, but it also has a basis in reality. After WW1 Germany never ratified the eastern borders set by the Versailles treaty (it would actually take until 1970 for the eastern borders to be accepted and ratified properly), and it always harboured a desire to regain these territories. Even during the Weimar Republic, Germany coveted these areas and never fully accepted the loss of these lands. You’ll be able to regain these lost parts of Germany through different means - but more on that later. Let’s discuss what exactly sets Democracy apart from a revived Kaiserreich.

[h3]Democracy[/h3]
After you Re-establish Free Elections you can become a technological powerhouse, secure better relations with your Western neighbours, but also become a beacon of Democracy

The Democratic branch is all about cooperation, reconciliation, and technological advancements. You can Reverse the Brain Drain to kick your research into high gear and then further improve it with Shared R&D Programs to really accelerate the research pace. And by making amends with your Western neighbours you can increase trade with them or even regain some of your old colonies. Depending on what you choose between Embrace Liberal Leanings or Strive for Conservative Values you’ll either make political advisors, Economic and Trade Laws much cheaper or get all political and military advisors at a slightly reduced cost while Conscription Law also gets a lot cheaper.

Cooperation and reconciliation will lead to technological innovations and more trade

The Shield of Democracy comes in two different flavours

[h3]Monarchism[/h3]
After you Revive the Kaiserreich you can start to realize the Imperial Forces’ true potential

The keen-eyed among you will notice that you can now choose which flavour of authoritarianism you want; the rule of good old Wilhelm II or install a Military Dictatorship with Wilhelm III as figurehead, with the Fourth Supreme Army Command as the true power in Germany. This also has a historical background with the Army Command being the de facto authority in Germany during the later parts of WW1. Both options have their own exclusive focuses with the Kaiser geared more toward research and the development of Special Projects while the Supreme Army Command is all about preparing Germany for the next war and strengthening its military. What’s true for both though, is the eagerness and willingness to rearm and demand lost territories and exact vengeance….

[h3]Weltpolitik[/h3]
With Germany’s old colonies lost, the question is how you will regain them

Now, after having chosen your leader and political course, it’s time to set sail and venture out on the open seas to rebuild your old empire through some good old-fashioned Weltpolitik - which simply means “world politics”. This was the imperial foreign policy under Wilhelm II as Germany aimed to become a global power. There are basically two ways to become a global empire once more; you can either accept British naval dominance and ask nicely (and sometimes not so nicely - looking at you Portugal) to get your old colonies back, or you can simply go to war over your old claims and demand your rightful place in the sun. Wedged in between these two paths you have a third option; to align more closely with China and offer both industrial and military help to bolster them. In the end, you’ll carve up Asia between yourselves in spheres of influence. “But wait, hold up, hold up”, I hear you say after taking a long, hard look at the picture above, “‘Carve up Congo’ doesn’t sound like anything the British would agree on”. Believe it or not, but this also has a basis in history; the then Prime Minister of Britain, Chamberlain, once offered Hitler to carve up Congo between both nations. This was a part of his appeasement strategy (famously working out oh-so-well), and the idea was that this would placate Hitler and his lust for conquest. Lmao. I thought it was a neat idea and put it here instead.

[h3]Realpolitik[/h3]
What alliances and deals will you strike to strengthen Germany?

If Weltpolitik is all about global power plays on the world stage, then Realpolitik is about how you conduct politics and diplomacy closer to home. The big name associated with the term is of course Otto von Bismarck, who used Realpolitik to achieve the unification of Germany and created a delicate balance of alliances in Europe designed to keep Germany out of a two-front war (which abruptly fell apart as soon as he left office - leading to WW1). There’s quite a lot to go through here actually, so let’s get started - and we’re starting from the far left with:

[h3]Mitteleuropa[/h3]
Tie other nations closer to Germany by strengthening their industries and exploiting their resources

Mitteleuropa of course means “Middle Europe” and is a German term for Central Europe, but the definition of what Mitteleuropa encompasses has shifted throughout the ages. It is not merely a geographical term, but also a political one. Mitteleuropa envisions a German-dominated central Europe with countries strongly tied to, or even ruled by, Germany. And this is exactly what you can achieve by going down this branch. After the Civil War you stand alone, without allies, but this changes here; this is where you once again can form your own alliance to weather whatever may come. This is also where you decide how to handle poor old Austria; do you invite them into your newly founded faction or do you push for unification, giving Burgenland to Hungary to entice them to join Mitteleuropa? From here you have to decide whether or not to restore the old Central powers (with either Austria or Hungary depending on your earlier choice), but under a much stronger German influence, or try to unify as much of Europe under your leadership as possible while making every faction member stronger until you’re able to form the European Confederation?

[h3]See to the Eastern Front[/h3]
Who said playing nice can’t be fun? Protect Eastern Europe before the Soviets come knocking on your door

What happens if you play it cool and don’t decide to gobble up other nations? Well, someone else is just going to take your place, aren’t they? There’s a very high likelihood that the USSR will start to eye the countries between them and you with increasing appetite (so not very different from history actually). Who’s going to stop them anyway? You? Ravaged by Civil War you can’t possibly hope to save the countries of Eastern Europe from their fate. It is sealed. A done deal. The Soviets will have these nations for breakfast. Well, I guess you can always try to help them. Offer them guarantees, construct forts, build up their industries, train their militaries - do whatever you can. There’s even a possibility that you can invite them into your faction and further boost their industries….

[h3]Restore the Brest-Litovsk Borders[/h3]
Coerce your eastern neighbors into giving up lands so you can restore the borders set by the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Well, what if you don’t want to play nice? Oh, there are options for you too (the Weltpolitik branch notwithstanding)! Many of you may already know this, but Germany signed a separate peace deal with the Russians towards the end of WW1, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, where the Russians lost ⅓ of their population and over 50% of their industrial lands. So, a pretty severe blow. Well, all of this was undone by the Treaty of Versailles which annulled the treaty, and all of the lands Germany had gained became free nations. It is now within your grasp to restore these borders and German honour!

[h3]Reject the Locarno Treaty[/h3]
If you are of the mindset that the Treaty of Versailles was unfair you can Reject the Locarno Treaty and reclaim Elsass-Lothringen

The Locarno Treaty was signed between Germany and a whole bunch of other nations to secure and guarantee Germany’s new WW1 borders with France and Belgium. If you have chosen to bring back the Kaiser from his exile or appoint a military dictatorship, you have the option to first bully the Danes into giving back southern Jutland (another piece of land lost with the Treaty of Versailles), before you can Reject the Locarno Treaty and have at it with France one more time. As you may have noticed, this path is also accessible if you Accept British Naval Dominance in the Weltpolitik branch; the caveat being that France has to fulfill certain criteria first, much like the old focus with the same name.

But what if you don’t want to play a fascist, democratic, or monarchist Germany? Well, there are slim pickings then, but you can always start;

[h3]The Proletarian Revolution[/h3]
Throw off the shackles of capitalism and free workers around the world as Communist Germany

Welcome to the revolution comrades, it’s been a long time coming. It’s time to establish the Proletariat and bring it to the masses all around the world. There are two ways of doing this, one more aggressive than the other, but neither is peaceful (those damn capitalists just won’t see common sense!), but before we get ahead of ourselves we have to discuss how to turn Communist in the first place. You didn’t think you’d do it by the press of a button, did you? No, you need to press several buttons!

Some of you may deem this the most unrealistic path for Germany to take, but they had several socialist uprisings just after WW1 and some even broke away from Germany and proclaimed their own, independent Soviet republics. In fact, it was the Kiel Mutiny of November 1918 that sparked the following revolutions and uprisings and the downfall of the monarchy in Germany. This mutiny had clear socialist undertones, and while the Left was finally defeated in the German Revolution of 1918 and all German Soviet republics abolished, the Weimar Republic emerged from this turbulence helmed by the Social Democrats. Ok, why am I giving you this quick history lesson? Because this is kind of how you turn Communist; by mimicking history.

Spread the Proletarian Revolution to new states to gain momentum for your cause!

For each state you spread the revolution to the stronger the Communist movement grows, but so does the instability of Germany. And be mindful that not all states are equal; the more industries a state has the more workers you can sway to your cause, and the bigger the impact in loss of stability and increase in Communism support you’ll get. You might also have noticed the Imminent Proletarian Revolution that’s ticking down. So what happens if you reach 0 days?

The Second German Civil War

The states you manage to spread the Proletarian Uprising to will join you in any potential Civil War. Luckily, this Civil War is avoidable - if you play your cards right. For each state you spread the Proletarian Uprising to, you'll add days to the Imminent Proletarian Revolution, postponing the Civil War by a few days. This can also be achieved by completing certain focuses. It’s a race against the clock, but one which you should be able to win - especially if you plan ahead just a little bit.

With The People’s Victory, you have finally become a true socialist nation

So, you’ve emerged as a Communist nation - what now? How will you secure the Revolution, or even spread it elsewhere? There’s a lot left to cover so let’s do a blitz through the various shared branches the Communists have.

If you like the spy game, a Communist Germany is what you’re looking for where you can form the infamous Stasi

Get Communist militias and upgrade Ernst Thälmann’s advisor trait in the Nationale Volksarmee branch (where you might have to sack some generals but also get new ones)

Nationalize Industries to improve August Thalheimer and your factory output before expanding your Recruitable Population with Women’s Rights and Equality

Sign the Second Treaty of Berlin to boost your and the Soviet’s industries and maybe trade some of your factories for resource rights

And that’s it for this blitz round. Let’s turn our attention to more intricate stuff, like how you-

[h3]Spark the Flame of Revolution[/h3]
You have had your revolution, comrades, but what about everyone else?

If you like flipping countries Communist, this is the path for you! Here you can Bolster Communist Sentiment in countries, and in doing so eventually trigger a Civil War in said nation. But to secure the Revolution and guarantee that your side comes out on top, you can send Infantry Equipment to countries embroiled in a Communist Civil War, or even send boots on the ground with your volunteer forces. By completing Spark the Flames of Revolution you’ll also create your very own faction: the Proletarian International. With Strengthen Proletarian International you’ll automatically invite any country you helped turn red to your new faction (so those pesky Soviets don’t sweep right in and reap what you’ve sowed by enlarging the Comintern).

Turn all of Europe Red to bolster your faction in ever-growing numbers and put an end to Fascism in Europe

[h3]Root Out Imperialism[/h3]
You might have ended Fascism in Europe and turned all of your neighbours into docile allies, but what about the rest of the world?

If you want to spread the Proletariat beyond Europe’s borders you’ll have to Root Out Imperialism and increase resistance and autonomy in African and Asian countries suffering under the boot of colonialism. After that, you can spread the word of Marx to South America or the Middle East before facing off against the forces of Capitalism (which we all know resides in the USA) and the remnants of corporatism in Japan (we don’t care if they’ve turned their backs on their emperor or not - to us they’ll always be fascist sell-outs unless they’re actually Communists, which makes them waaaay cool).

Communist hegemony won’t be realized until we have Hegemony over Europe

[h3]Legacy of the Spartacus League[/h3]
Look toward the past and follow in the footsteps of the Spartacus League

The roots of the German Communist movement and the German Communist Party (the KPD) can be found in the Spartacus League, a breakaway group of the Social Democrats. The Spartacus League was founded and led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg (both murdered during the Spartacist uprising in 1919), who both were very much anti-militarists. Luxemburg in particular believed in Democratic institutions and that Communism should use those venues to gain power, while Liebknecht believed in the proletarian revolution. This is also reflected in the exclusively Communist National Spirit of Politbüro.

Politbüro will take on different aspects depending on which Communist path you go down

Honoring the Legacy of the Spartacus League emphasizes the spread of the revolution and embracing Democratic institutions, which all come together in a brand-new type of subjects, exclusive to this path - namely the:

[h3]Volkskommissariats[/h3]
By spreading Communism to neighbouring countries you can subjugate them to Protect the Revolution after you Embrace Democratic Institutions and protect Civil Liberties. This in turn will let you create Volkskommissariats out of these neighbours. The Volkskommissariats will give you a higher percentage of their industries and manpower to their Overlord, namely you.

The Volkskommissarit will strengthen its Overlord’s industries and military

You can also choose to develop your Volkskommissariats’ industry, which in the end will boost your own production. You can also help Instill German Discipline in your subjects, to make them a more effective fighting force

Boosting your Volkskommissariats will inevitably strengthen you too

And in the end, you can choose to integrate any Volkskommissariats and create the German Socialist Volksunion. But what if you want more action? What if you don’t like taking your time map painting? What if you’re the impatient kind who just wants war? Welcome to the-

[h3]Proletarian Dictatorship[/h3]
The Proletarian Dictatorship resembles the other branches more in the sense that you get to gobble up a bunch of nations

This branch is more straightforward and to the point compared to the Legacy of the Spartacus League with its ability to set up Volkskommissariats; here you simply apply superior forces to conquer other nations. Yay! But before you can start your world-conquering rampage you have to sign a Defense Treaty with the Soviets to exchange mutual guarantees with each other, and after that, there’s just one more step; carve Europe into Spheres of Influence. Divide Europe into your respective playgrounds, where you’ll relinquish control over the East but have the West all to yourself. How fun! This will mean that it becomes more expansive for you to try and take any state that resides in the other’s influence.

The Spheres of Influence will divide Europe between you and the Soviets

Okay, you must be getting tired of reading about how to turn Communist, or thinking about if you want to protect Eastern Europe from the greedy Soviets, or if you want to gobble it up yourself. We’re nearly done, let’s just look at some pretty pictures before saying goodbye.

[h3]Country Leaders[/h3]
Feast your eyes on some (but not all) of the new country leaders you can get with Götterdämmerung

There might be some more surprises besides these, but the only way to find out is to play the game once the DLC has been released.

[h3]Advisors[/h3]
The political advisor roster for Democratic and Monarchist Germany

The political advisor roster for Communist Germany

[h3]The Various Shapes and Colours of Germany[/h3]
Germany has a plethora of new formables

[h3]Units[/h3]
Phew, we’re very nearly done! Thanks for sticking around this long (it’s been quite a long read). To finish this Dev Diary off we just want to show off some of the very cool new models we have! This is not all of them, but some of them.

Some handsome German Infantry

Some very hot German Infantry

Some Very cold German Infantry

And with that, I would like to say so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen. This is the last Dev Diary about Germany before the release of Götterdämmerung on November 14th, but it is not the final Dev Diary. Next up we have Performance and Modding dropping on November 11th, and after that, the last Dev Diary, Art and Achievements, out on November 12th. I hope you have enjoyed reading about what’s in store for Germany and I can’t wait for you to actually get to play it! See you around folks.

Note: Fixed the date for the Reddit AMA


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Hello! My name is MordredViking (Gareth), and I’m joined in this Dev Diary by D3vil (Jonathan). We previously talked about Belgium and now it’s time to talk about Congo! I’ll start talking about a specific part of the focus tree which relies on close Belgian cooperation, then Jonathan will take over and cover the rest of the branches.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Why Congo though? I know there was some surprise at their inclusion in this expansion, but there is a good reason for it. Namely, they contributed a lot more to the Second World War than you likely realize, plus they were of course intrinsically linked together with Belgium. It was their gold and diamonds which kept the Belgian Government in Exile solvent, meaning that they did not need any donations or loans from the other Allied nations. Congolese soldiers fought in the Force Publique together with other Allied troops against the Italians in Ethiopia. Congolese rubber production was expanded following the fall of South East Asia to Japan, and other raw materials were heavily developed for the war effort, particularly copper and cobalt.

Plus, of course Congo’s Uranium was vital to the Manhattan Project, as Congo had at the time the largest known Uranium deposit in the world.

Now, I am well aware of the elephant in the room. Belgium’s relationship with Congo has not always been benign, and there was a period where horrible atrocities occurred, particularly under King Leopold II (King Leopold III’s grandfather). While the situation in Congo during the Second World War had significantly improved from those dark days, things were by no means perfect. I would remind you however, that this is a war game, focusing on the war and as such we are most interested in Congo’s contribution to the conflict at large.

Now, with that said, let’s get stuck in!

Behold! The Congo Focus Tree in all its glory!

And now for some reason, I’m going to show you a part of the Belgian Focus Tree.

The fog has been lifted, and you can finally see some of those focuses look a little… different.

[h3]Colonial Branch[/h3]
You might notice that they share a rather large part in common, well this is the joint Colonial Branch that both countries share. There are parts which only one country can do (denoted by the singular flags) and there are parts which either country can do (denoted by both flags, side by side). As one country completes a focus in this section, it will also be completed for the other, with both nations getting something from it.

Belgium must complete Monetary Reconstruction from their Industrial branch, and then Congo Investments and ideally Societe Generale de Belgique to gain access. Congo meanwhile, must do Belgian Congo and then Heart of Africa.

So how does all this work? Well let’s give you some examples.

The bunting flags beneath the focus show who can do what

Everyone gets something, regardless of who completes it

Both countries have modifiers that these will generally improve. For Belgium it’s Colonial Returns. For Congo its the Model Colony.

Societe Generale de Belgique : Completed by Belgium. Improves Congo’s Model Colony with better construction while also improving Belgium’s Colonial Returns with some Political Power Gain.

The Heart of Africa : Completed by Congo. Improves Model Colony with Research Speed for Congo, and gives +75 Political Power to Belgium.

Bakwanga Mine : Completed by either Belgium or Congo. Gives Congo a Civilian Factory (and slot), while improving Belgium’s trade resources per factory.

Generally, the single-nation focuses will give a bigger bonus to that country (and in some rare cases, gives nothing to the other, or can actually cost them something), whereas the focuses either can complete will boost both. Some focuses also function like a “gate” meaning one country needs to complete a focus before the other can progress down a mini branch.

These are the central line of focuses which split the branch into tiers.

The Colonial Branch is also split up into tiers, denoted by the central three (well, technically four) focuses.

The Belgian Congo : Only accessible to Congo, and only Congo will benefit from these. Something of an introduction to the branch as a whole, and solid early-game boosts.

The Heart of Africa : Tier 1, contains most of the resource improvements, as both countries work to kick-start Congo’s economy.

Regional Specialization : Tier 2, requires 6 focuses in the Heart of Africa tier. More advanced resources are here, as well as increasingly technical areas.

Congo’s Place in the World : Tier 3, requires 14 focuses from across Heart of Africa and Regional Specialization. This determines Congo’s future direction and their relationship with Belgium.

Broadly the Colonial Branch is also divided left against right. On the left we have the focuses regarding the extraction of raw resources. These generally will increase Congo’s autonomy. On the right are the more developmental focuses, and these will generally decrease Congo’s autonomy.

How Congo feels about Belgium will determine their future options

So why does autonomy matter? Congo’s autonomy when Congo’s Place in the World is completed will determine their future as a colony, and as a nation.

Congo Free State: Belgium annexes Congo.
Overseas Department of Belgium: Congo remains a puppet of Belgium.
Dominion of Congo: Congo becomes a Dominion, much like Canada or Australia with Britain.
Republic of Congo: Congo declares independence from Belgium. It is possible to achieve this peacefully, but it will be up to Belgium on whether they deem it important (or possible!) to fight to keep it.

When a choice is made here then that status is locked, so note which of these can be completed by Belgium and / or Congo! Of course, if Belgium is no longer the Overlord, then this whole Colonial Branch will be locked. Congo lost its main investor.

Historically, after the war Belgium was able to recover the most quickly of all the European nations, and this was in large part because of how wealthy Congo had made them (plus their gold reserves were intact). This became known as the Belgian Miracle.

Therefore, if Belgium is able to invoke the Congo Free State, Overseas Department or Dominion of Congo, plus Engine of the Economy from their own tree, then they can do the “Belgian Miracle” focus which comes with a massive industrial bonus.

[h3]Colonial Mini Branches[/h3]
Let’s go into a little more detail about what you can actually get out of the Colonial branch!

Belgium’s “Overlord” branch.

This is Belgium’s Overlord branch, the first two giving access to the wider shared branch, however the latter part generally takes things from Congo, without recompense. These will have pretty large boosts for Belgium, but come at a high cost in autonomy.

The Katanga region, in southern Congo is especially resource rich

Congo is very resource rich, and can bring a wealth of benefits. These range from growing the mining companies of CCCI and Forminiere, prospecting for gold or diamonds, and eventually, expanding the Shinkolobwe mine for more Uranium.

Belgium however, must also bear in mind rising autonomy should it invest in this area too heavily though! Similarly, if Congo is on a path to Independence then it might want to sacrifice some of their mineral wealth… for the greater good (the greater good).

Speaking of Uranium, if Belgium is able to complete the Uranium Development Trust, then this will confer a bonus to Nuclear Special Projects for ALL members of their faction! Congo too can tap into this more sneakily, and smuggle Uranium to any other Major Power to give them that bonus too, for a price. Even if they’re at war.

These focus more on the non-mineral related activities within Congo, including rubber production

There’s more to the Congo than mining, for one there is major potential for rubber cultivation as well as widespread agriculture. The sheer size of Congo is also a factor here, and you can invest in various forms of infrastructure to better utilize the vast interior. The Belgian Devaluation line contains autonomy reducing systems, while French Congo and Colonial Ambitions provide an outlet towards further African expansion.

The Force Publique was the militarized police force, significantly expanded during the First World War and critical in the war against German Africa

The Force Publique section is initially locked so that only Belgium can access it, however should Congo find itself at war, then it too can begin completing it.

Initially this section is about improving the Force Publique, increasing the manpower available, giving them bonuses to fighting in the Congo proper, and some hefty jungle warfare buffs. Later, you can modernize it into the Army of the Congo.

Congo can nab this talented officer from the Belgians!

It was said of Raoul van Overstraeten that, “he is likely one of the most talented officers in the Belgian military, the problem is that he himself knows it”. It’s unlikely (but possible) that Belgium will want to bring him back into service, however he served with distinction in the Congo during the First World War so may be more amenable to serve in Africa once more.

Anyway, that’s all from me on the shared part of the tree! I now hand over to D3vil (Jonathan) for more of the Congo-centric part of the tree. I warn you in advance he has added a lot of kings! Like seriously, there are a tonne.

[h3]The Unique Branches[/h3]
Hello again, it’s me D3vil here to bring you some more interesting things regarding the Congolese content. So to start off with the unique Congolese focuses are divided into a few separated parts, namely: “The Invisible Roof”, “Governor General Pierre Ryckmans”, “Congolese National Movements”, “Our Overlord’s War”, “The ANC” and the “Post-Independence Political” branches. Also don’t worry, it may not look like anything now, but a path may appear below the focus “Assemble a Regency Council” once someone has been chosen to take the throne.

The Branches in question!

In order to give you a better idea of how the country starts off, so that I can better explain the unique tree, I’ll show you their country screen and their starting national spirits.

The new country select screen for the Belgian Congo, with a TL:DR for the historical context

Their Starting National Spirits

First of all, there is a small sub branch for ridding yourself of the “Invisible Roof” national spirit, costing of these three focuses. They can only be taken once you have become independent, through whichever means it may be.

The Invisible Roof focuses

But to move on to some of the more interesting branches, let’s start off with the ones I usually call the “pre-independence political branches”, as in the ones that start with the focuses “Governor General Pierre Ryckmans”, “Found the Congolese National Movement” and “National Committee for Liberation”.


The left-most focuses are to do with strengthening the colonial regime,while the ones to the right deal with achieving independence, one of them peacefully, the other through a war of independence

Some focuses in the Pierre Ryckmans branch

If you wish for independence, one way would be to grow your democracy support and gain independence score to peacefully liberate yourself, while the other would be through war. The choice is yours, and breaking away peacefully will more than likely put you on a path towards democracy, but should you choose violence, well then the political climate may change drastically…

Some focuses in the “Push for Independence” branches

There is a branch available to you if you are still together with Belgium, and they happen to find themselves at war, perhaps by the Germans invading them to get around the Maginot. Should this occur, the Congo will be able to gain strong timed bonuses that will help it rearm and prepare to aid its allies in the new Great War.

The “Our Overlord’s War” branch and some of its focuses

The armed forces of the Congo can’t stay a colonial gendarmerie forever, and as such, either after gaining independence, or after finishing the Force Publique branch in the Joint focus tree, the “Armée Nationale Congolaise” branch will unlock, allowing for professionalization of your armed forces.

The ANC branch and some of its focuses

After becoming independent, there are a few different paths you can take. One requires you to have 40% or more democracy support, one the same but for communism, and the third requires less than 40% for either political party.

The Post-independence political branches

First, before we show off individual branches and focuses, it might be time to show what advisors are available to the Congo.

Congolese Advisors

First off we have the democratic branch. This one focuses mainly on being able to quickly rid yourself of your administrative maluses, and industrialize as soon as possible. It does also contain the opportunity for a bit of expansion, and as the Congo has a new “generic” formable nation available to it, they have the ability to core some places no matter which path they choose.

The United States of Latin Africa

Some focuses in the democratic branch

In the communist branch you have two main choices, similar to what you can do in Ethiopia. One is to use wargoals and limited wars to liberate nations, eventually leading up to forming the African union, with the other one about spreading the revolution throughout the continent, potentially also joining the Comintern. With the Congo also being able to use the formerly purely Ethiopian “African Union” mechanics, these decisions have been changed to be cheaper for both countries, and have had parts of their functionality revised.

Some focuses in the communist branches

Now for something a bit more unusual. In the case that the country cannot unite behind one school of thought, a council of ministers can be put together to convene with a sole goal in mind. To end the political chaos, and select a ruler who can take the nation in a better direction. They will attempt to select a ruler from one of many regional monarchs in and around the Congo, in an event chain similar to the Polish royal election events. A focus branch will then appear, depending on who you decide on in the events.

I will give you a sneak peek at two of the branches, and leave the rest of them for you to discover. I will however leave you with the portraits and names of the awesome-looking monarchs you can elect for now.

Two of the available monarchist branches

The Monarchs available to the Congo

That has been all for now however! If you have any questions, Mordred and I will do our best to answer what we can. Be sure to tune in next week, when Paradox_Danne and ManoDeZombi will show you all about the new and improved German alt-history routes. See you then!


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We’re going to be talking about a nation that was invaded in both World Wars, and were present and fighting until the end in both, despite being either partly, or wholly occupied for the majority of those conflicts. Their people were very much on the front lines, and the landscape remains scarred by the wars even to this day.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Hello! My name is Mordred Viking, though some of you may know me as Gareth. I am a Content Designer on Hearts of Iron IV, and I very much wanted to see this nation given more content in the game because they contributed so much, but are often so little known.

As such, I’d like to present the real story of the plucky underdog: Belgium.

Behold! The Belgian Focus Tree! Plus a weird blurry bit in the middle. I wonder what that could be?

I had a couple of goals starting out with the design of Belgium. Firstly, I wanted to give them a chance to actually hold out. Secondly, if this failed, I wanted them to be fun to play in exile. Thirdly, I wanted to showcase the close relationship between Belgium and Congo. As is always the case in these diaries, please bear in mind that all you are about to see is a work in progress.

[h3]Overview[/h3]
Right! So with those goals in mind, let’s start taking a closer look at what all this actually means.

Paul van Zeeland is the Prime Minister at the start of the game.
You can see from his fancy top hat, that he is clearly a very trustworthy fellow!

At the start of the game, Belgium finds itself in an interesting position. The memory of the Great War is still very much in mind, their economy still recovering from its impact and the countryside still scarred by the many trenches meandering through the fields of Flanders. In order to avoid a second Great War, the Belgians embarked on a policy of neutrality, much like the Dutch and Swiss. They even canceled their alliances with Britain and France, something which took both those nations by surprise as they had fought to protect Belgium previously.

The Chasseur Ardennais give Belgium some unique fighting options in terrain other nations would find too rugged.

The political landscape wasn’t much better, corruption plagued the government of Prime Minister Paul van Zeeland, causing a furor which was whipped up by the fascists under Leon Degrelle who demanded an investigation- we’ll talk more about this later! Complicating all this, Belgium is of course a nation of twin cultures, the French speaking Wallons and the Dutch speaking Flemish. To reflect all this, they have the above starting National Spirits.

Which to tackle first? Security or corruption?

Despite increasingly hostile rhetoric from neighbouring Germany, the Belgian government historically refused to sanction further military spending needed to bring state forces and defenses up to scratch without the promise of a declaration of neutrality from the crown, so that they could avoid being drawn into what they saw as other people’s wars. Simultaneously, Fascist agitation against the widespread government corruption can cause the Democratic government to resign, triggering political manoeuvring which can ultimately lead to any of the ideologies rising to power.

[h3]Military and Industry[/h3]
Following the declaration that Belgium is “Independent, Neutral and Loyal”, you gain access to the defensive branch

The so-called Defensive branch is about, well, defending. When hostilities seem inevitable, Belgium would be wise to invest some time and resources into these. The Redoubt of Antwerp line will see the rise of impressive fortifications, while Belgian Gates and the Iron Wall act as force multipliers and improve the effectiveness of these defenses. The latter part of the branch provides additional defensive options, including the radical decision to really tap into Belgium’s position as one of the Low Countries, and saturate their enemies with more than just bullets.

The Belgians boast a number of powerful MIOs, particularly small arms producer FN Herstal who partnered closely with Browning (and would later go on to buy them).

Belgium’s army was surprisingly potent, having been able to muster 600,000 troops before the German invasion, with decent officers and well developed industrial support providing high quality equipment particularly in terms of infantry equipment and artillery. I’ve also chosen to tap a little into their WW1 penchant with armored cars to give them that option, and they can eventually overcome the Scars of WW1 and turn those experiences into their strength.

On the other side, education was important to the Belgian military, and high level courses in a wide range of different subjects were offered through the Royal Military Academy. Historically, Belgian integration into the British SAS met with excellent results, particularly in France… where being able to speak French was a real advantage... Quelle surprise? This combined with the Chasseur Ardennais modifiers, means that the Belgian Special Forces can indeed bring something powerful and unique to the battlefield.

For such an industrial nation, the Belgian industrial branch is curiously small…
I wonder why? Could there be another facet to this?

Although the economic situation facing Belgium at the start is quite poor, the scaling potential is quite impressive, with numerous ways to quickly get new factories up and running, and then to make those as efficient as possible. Historically, Belgian industry was in an interesting position, with companies having a very progressive attitude towards their employees, including the introduction of a 40 hour work week and paid vacations.

The cornerstone of Belgian industrial might was Cockerill, a company that suffered through the First World War, and continued manufacturing machines and ships throughout the interwar period and into the Second World War. Historically, they survived the conflict, maintaining high levels of employment manufacturing pig iron and trains rather than weapons for the occupiers. This gets to the heart of Belgian production at the time, trains, which were the primary export in the run up to war.

The Belgians were real innovators in the air, unfortunately their aeronautical industry never really took off in time.

Despite a good showing in the First World War, the Belgian Air Force was woefully under developed at the onset of the Second World War. The majority of Belgian aircraft in 1940 were old foreign planes, and despite a very brave attempt, the Belgians recorded only one German aircraft downed.

However, they did have some good home-grown design talent, particularly Alfred Renard who was a pioneer in the development of all-metal aircraft, and Nicholas Florine, the father of twin-rotor helicopters. Who knows what they could have achieved had that domestic industry been allowed to flourish.

The Belgians had a huge and flourishing port in Antwerp, not to mention overseas colonial possessions, so surely they had a mighty navy to protect it all?

The Navy in 1936 was… well, there wasn’t one. Despite being granted ships from Germany in the Treaty of Versailles, the Belgians disbanded their entire fleet in 1927 as a cost saving measure. This means that you have to start from scratch in order to develop a fleet at all. This focus branch therefore is all about doing just that. Thankfully, the Belgians are not without resources and capacity, with Antwerp particularly being capable of quickly bringing naval production online.

This highlights another facet of the Belgian game we’ve not yet touched on, their excellent capacity for diplomacy. Through having the right people in Government and developing Antwerp, Belgium can enjoy a significant advantage when buying resources on the world market, spending fewer civilian factories for each trade.

The Port of Antwerp can really help your trade

[h3]Political Introduction[/h3]
Behold! Politics!

Now that we’ve talked about the industrial and military facets important to any Belgian game, let’s talk about the political sphere, the Democratic resistance, Fascist rise or Communist tough-decisions. Finally, the Monarchy was a real power within Belgium and can be involved in all branches, although just what role they will play remains to be seen - and of particular concern to the people of Belgium is precisely where the King’s loyalties lie.

Step one. Stamp on van Zeeland’s hat.

As we mentioned earlier, rife corruption is the first political hurdle to be overcome. In order to begin tackling those horrible corruption modifiers, Paul van Zeeland’s government will have to resign. This will call an immediate election, with two outcomes. Historically, the Emile Vandervelde’s Labour Party won the most votes, but did not have enough to form a majority government. Therefore they allied with Zeeland’s Catholic Bloc to get the numbers needed, and the Government of National Unity was formed with our main man, and master survivor, Paul van Zeeland at its head.

The other option is for Vandervelde to form his own minority government. While this will cause some instability, it will lead towards a left wing- possibly Communist path. We’ll talk about that in a bit.

Going back to the first option, unfortunately Paul van Zeeland is himself a ticking time bomb, and his luck can hold out only so long. The Fascist Leon Degrelle intensifies the corruption investigations, and reveals that, shock horror, Paul van Zeeland himself is implicated! This leads in time to the fall of the Government of National Unity.

“Don’t make me choose!” - King Leopold III probably.

King Leopold III himself steps and mounts a royal intervention, declaring for either the democratic Paul-Émile Janson, or acknowledging Degrelle’s work tackling the corruption inherent in the system and swearing Degrelle in as the new Prime Minister.

[h3]Historical Branch[/h3]
The Historical branch is short and sweet, and it was definitely not an intentional design decision to give more time to spend on certain other parts of the focus tree. Nope, definitely nothing so nefarious.

The Historical branch focuses on stabilizing Belgium following all the chaos that has dogged the democratic side.

The first step is implementing Henri de Man’s economic policies (historically, he was the Minister of the Economy), in the amazingly named “Plan de Man” which helps relieve some of the pressure from “Economic Downturn”. This in turn leads to the Economic Recovery, though it does require the Dyle Plan. What is the Dyle Plan you ask? Well, it was the result of Belgium’s declarations of neutrality and breaking of their alliances with Britain and France.

Despite this public neutrality, Belgium was under no illusions about Germany’s intentions and maintained secret back channel negotiations with the Allied nations. The Dyle Plan was a military strategy where Belgium would resist invasion to the Dyle River line, allowing French and British troops time to arrive and assist in the defense, much like in the First World War. In game-terms, this increases the likelihood that Allied forces will actually come and help Belgium, rather than leave them to their fate.

Unfortunately, the Economic Recovery was something of an illusion, and Janson didn’t survive as Prime Minister, this time being toppled by Paul-Henri Spaak who is quite possibly the most important Belgian politician ever.

Seriously, look this guy up, he was quite impressive. He was Prime Minister of Belgium several times, first President of the United Nations (and sponsored the entry of the Soviets Union into the UN, ensuring there was a platform for the two Cold War rivals to talk), President of the European Coal and Steel Community (forerunner to the European Union), and finally General Secretary of NATO.

This leadership was first tested with the Adriaan Martens Crisis, where a Flemish Nationalist, WW1 German Collaborator and Fascist was appointed to the Royal College of Surgeons. Historically, Spaak did not survive this crisis, leading to his resignation and the arrival of Hubert Pierlot to the office of Prime Minister, although here you have the option to pay the political price and keep Spaak around, allowing you to call the Council of Europe, and form the European Union. Pierlot was the historical wartime leader of Belgium during the Second World War, and fled with his Foreign Minister (Spaak), Economic Minister (Gutt) and Minister of Colonies (Vleeschauwer) to London and formed the Belgian Government in Exile.

Now it is possible to just… not capitulate, in which case Pierlot can reverse the Belgian Neutrality and join a faction. If however, the worst should happen and Germany (or whomever) does successfully invade…

[h3]The King Surrenders[/h3]
Remember that I had a couple of goals starting out with the design of Belgium: I wanted them to be fun to play in exile - therefore there is a reason to keep playing if this happens!

I won’t spoil the circumstances around just how this happens! You’ll have to play it to find out.

(We’re still waiting for La Dame Blanche icon art!)

The worst has happened, and Belgium has capitulated. Some of that blame will, rightfully or wrongly, fall on the King’s shoulders. Just how he is treated by the government in exile will determine whether he falls by the wayside, or becomes a figure around whom to rally resistance.

The historical path was to declare the King unfit to reign, and centralize resistance efforts around the Government in Exile in London. This path is all about gaining support from allies, and using the resources in Congo to fight back and reclaim Belgium.

The Prisoner King is a very plausible alternative path, and the real Exiles agonized about how best to mount the resistance. In this scenario, the King plays on his status as a prisoner in his own nation, using his influence to solidify Belgian resistance and begin a monarchist resurgence.

[h3]Fascist Branches[/h3]
The rising power of the Fascists in Belgium have a lot of options open to them.

(We’re still waiting for Strength and Brotherhood icon art!)

Once Degrelle has been invited to take power as Prime Minister, he will need to make a choice between which Fascist group to support and empower. Degrelle will remain in power regardless of your choice here, this is because I absolutely cannot imagine him giving up that position once he’s got it, plus it was the King making *him* the Prime Minister, not the Fascists. They are still a minority in the country. As such, the decision here is not an indication of which faction is in power, but rather whose ambitions Degrelle is supporting.

There were two major factions at the time (and a whole myriad of smaller ones), and each has a broad set of goals they want to achieve but it can loosely be considered as follows:

• The Rexists are the “Fascist Nationalist” path - Build up Belgium itself
  
• The VNV are the “Fascist Expansionist” path - Make a bigger Belgium
  
• The middle shared path - Things both sides can do
  

The Rexists believed mostly in a strong Belgium and worked with many different groups to this end. They were the primary collaborator with Germany during the war, so in this branch they are very Germany-aligned (early designs even had them become a puppet!), and have the most to gain from an alliance with Fascist Germany. The main thing blocking this tall approach is internal Fascist support, so Degrelle will need to work at consolidating his grip on power within Belgium.

The VNV (Vlaamsch Nationaal Verbond) were historically Flemish nationalists, and didn’t want much to do with the Walloons. However, I really didn’t want to add yet another civil war, nor did I want to break up an already small country (because a player’s first action would be just to unite it again). As such I thought they’d be most about embiggening Belgium, uniting with their Dutch speaking brethren to the north, and invoking the old ideas of Burgundy. If they’re feeling super bold, they can go after France proper in a bid to recreate the old Roman province of Belgica, including the ability to core a number of French states which comprised Belgica historically.

The shared focus tree allows Fascist Belgium to do a number of things, including a peaceful union with Luxembourg, abandoning neutrality early in order to join factions or attack other nations, plus it gives them a number of tools to consolidate power and enhance the power of the state.

[h3]The Constitutional Crisis Branch - Turtle Belgium[/h3]
What If Belgium held out? This is the branch to find out!

So Degrelle has come to power, but Hubert Pierlot, fearing what this would mean for the democratic traditions of the country, invokes Parliament’s own protections, declaring the King temporarily unable to reign before the monarch can sign the royal assent locking Degrelle in. This renders the appointment void, and Pierlot calls for a snap election. This will lead to King Leopold’s abdication, and Charles, Count of Flanders’ appointment as Royal Regent (Leopold’s brother).

For those questioning the realism of this, something similar actually happened in Belgium in 1990. King Baudouin didn’t want to sign a bill into law for personal religious belief reasons, so had himself declared temporarily unfit to reign, meaning Parliament could bypass royal assent.

The election is then between the Liberals, led by Pierlot and the Socialists, led by… you guessed it, Spaak! This gives Belgium a choice to gain Allied protections or go for another option- the Soviets. Internally, they build build build, combining defenses in this branch with the defensive branch will lead to some truly massive fortifications.

Belgian Maginot

Better than Maginot

Mobile Maginot!

[h3]Socialist/Communist Belgium[/h3]
Belgian Socialists had some interesting opinions on Spain and Congo.

Going down the other path after that initial election, choosing the Vandervelde Minority sets Belgium on the path of Socialism. At the time, there was very little actual support for Communism, with even the trade unions being quite weak. This was because, as mentioned earlier, many large companies were already very socially aware and progressive for their time. As such, in game Belgium will generally remain Democratic in this branch, though there are ways of going Communist further down.

Therefore this branch is less about radical shifts in policy, and more about their diplomatic outlook. Belgium has the potential to provide significant support for the Spanish Republicans (something that Vandervelde historically pushed hard for). Similarly, Socialist attitudes in Congo were quite paternalistic, providing a strange combination of imperialism with socialist values. Finally, Socialist Belgium can send peacekeeping forces (volunteers) without turning their back on neutrality.

Ultimately, lines in the sand must be drawn, and Socialist Belgium can turn to the Soviets (with “Raise the Red Flag” flipping them Communist for gameplay reasons), or form the European Union.

[h3]Advisors, Commanders and other Bits and Bobs[/h3]
Belgium has a broad set of skills at their disposal

Belgium has a good number of advisors, with a wide range of different abilities. Of note are:

Paul Henri Spaak, who can increase the amount of raw materials per civilian factory in trade. Did I mention he was kinda cool?

Edgar Sengier, who realized the importance of Uranium to atomic research, and so shipped the Belgian Uranium supplies to America before Germany could take them. He was also critical in reopening Uranium mining in Congo. It was his foresight that basically made the Manhattan Project even feasible. He boosts the speed of Nuclear Special Projects.

Walthere Dewe, leader of the Belgian resistance in WW1. Anticipating the German invasion, he went back into hiding just before the outset of WW2 to rebuild his networks, and led the resistance AGAIN. In-game he [REDACTED].

Dieudonné Saive, the principal designer at FN Herstal, and who collaborated closely with Browning. He increases factory output, research speed and MIO funds gain.

I know this was a weapon of the 1950s, but hear me out!

While we’re on the topic of Saive, there is one slightly controversial topic that I just know will come up, so let's address it. I’ve chosen to include the FN FAL as the final tier of Belgian Small Arms. So why is this weapon, widely adopted in the 1950s by NATO forces, in a WW2 game? I sincerely believe that had Belgium not capitulated, then between Saive’s exceptional weapon design capabilities, his very close collaboration with John Browning and access to the German Sturmgewehr 44 that Belgium would have developed their own assault rifle in the latter years of the war.

As it was, the first prototype of this weapon was delivered in 1947 and it went into regular service in 1953. Ideally I’d have included this as a 1943-44 weapon, but as this is the final weapon tech in our tree this is where it had to go. After all, isn’t half the fun of these games the “what-if” scenarios?

The Chasseurs Ardennais rocked the iconic green berets, although they were worn longer on the side.

Belgium was fortunate in generally having a competent officer class. While many of the generals here will not be available from the start, there is a good selection of skills available. Despite this, Belgium starts with no Field Marshals, and while a couple of the above would make good candidates in the interim, they can recruit the two below later.

Make the right choices and King Leopold III can also take the field!

Now, Belgium didn’t have a navy during WW2, and therefore I could find no admirals… but wait! The unknown designer before me who had added a couple of Belgians to vanilla had included an admiral. At first I thought he was just randomly generated, but no. Turns out he was the chap responsible for rebuilding Belgium’s entire fleet post-war, so he’s in!

If you get him a navy, he will lead it for you!

I know many of you will be curious about the Belgian units, well here we are!

Belgian Soldier (left), Chasseur Ardennais (right)

[h3]Music[/h3]
Before I sign off, there was one last thing I wanted to cover, and that’s audio. We have a super talented team who handles this, but it was the one area of development that I had never really collaborated with.

Therefore when we were told that each country would have 2 new music tracks added, I had zero idea about how to approach this. We had a sit down with the audio directors and composers who we’d work with, and they laid out the process. We then needed to find several reference pieces to give the general “sound”, as well as include the emotions we wanted the tracks to evoke.

Belgian Wartime Track : Proud, Stubborn, Defensive
Belgian Peacetime Track : Trepidation, Uncertainty, Loss

This was the general premise I provided for the peacetime track

I’ve got to say they absolutely nailed those notes, and I am super, super excited for you to hear these tracks when you play Belgium in Götterdämmerung!

[h3]Final Notes[/h3]
That’s all we have for you for Belgium!

I can’t wait to see you all give it a try when we release, and I eagerly await the stories from your playthroughs!

Next time…

See you on the 4th of November!



Make sure to check out the Expansion Pass Here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3152810/Hearts_of_Iron_IV_Expansion_Pass_1