Despite their aggresive foreign policy that led to the Great War, the Autro-Hungarian Empire was perhaps the least well prepared of the major European powers that went to war in 1914.  The Empire was a collection of many small states and included dozens of ethnic groups with little sense of national unity.  The army was inexperienced, poorly equipped, and miserably led.  The army was unable to win even one substantial victory throughout the whole of the war.  The Great War ended the life of this "sick old man of Europe," breaking the empire up into many smaller countries.

The Austro-Hungarian army went through two different uniforms during the Great War.  HaT Industries produces a set of early-war Austro-Hungarians in their very sharp looking blue uniforms.  The Revell WWI German Infantry set can be used to depict late war Austro-Hungarians with only a simple painting conversion.
 

These are from HaT's set.  The well posed, well sculpted figures are very easy to paint and look great massed together on the battlefield.  Machineguns, mortars, and other heavy weapons are conspicuously absent.   HaT should consider producing a heavy weapons set to supplement this worthy offering.

Last updated 9 January, 2001
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