Hearts of Iron 4 Tutorial for Beginners | Latest 2023 update

Over 2,500 Likes! Why? Many New Players to HOI4 come here, frustrated with videos rushing through & clicking and not explaining stuff... Sure this one's gonna take you 3.5 hours, but afterwards YOU'LL GET IT. (see comments) - So go grab a drink, and hit play!
A COMPLETE guide for new players to HOI4 - When I was new to the game in 2019, I found it difficult because the user interface & game mechanics are like nothing I've ever played before. To help improve things for new players, I've made the best beginners guide here. It covers all the things I wish someone told me when I was learning how to play. Includes changes upto 2023.
2024 UPDATE! New Tutorials (More In Depth Topics) - Read on:
Amazed how many people this video helped, In 2024 I made a Comprehensive Beginners Guide to HOI4 - The Playlist contains many episodes. This enables me to cover Hearts of Iron in more detail than I otherwise could. It serves as a 1 stop shop for new players, who can choose to follow along - I provide access to all SaveGames after each episode, to keep us all on-course together.
While a comprehensive video playlist may not be for everyone, for complete beginners who want something extra, in a laid back style, that covers EVERYTHING - click here:
• HOI4 Guide - Beginners...
Games with Brains - Other Good HOI4 Tutorials:
kzbin.infoKRqKwIB8OJc | Hearts of Iron 4 Tutorial for Beginners (this video)
kzbin.infoQlolPZQhQow | HOI4 - First Invasion Tutorial
kzbin.info9pZrJw86Xnw | HOI4 - Controlling Armies, Navies & Air Force Tutorial
Contents:
0:00 Hearts of Iron 4 Complete Beginner Tutorial
1:00 HOI4 turn DLC off to Follow This Guide for Beginners
2:21 New Game Ironman Mode Explained
3:55 Understanding Modifiers
7:47 Hearts of Iron Main Interface
8:52 Divisions, Armies & Army Groups
9:05 Selecting an Entire Division
9:22 Battalions Inside Divisions
11:50 Selecting & Moving Divisions
12:50 Template Designer - Piercing vs Attack
16:44 Creating Your First Army Using Divisions
18:20 Adding Generals to Command an Army
20:42 Adding Panzers to an Armoured Division
21:34 Viewing Equipment Needed for Any Division
23:49 Adding Infantry Divisions to an Existing Army
24:10 Using a General & His Army to Make a Front Line
29:22 Adding Generals & Armies to Army Groups
30:15 Assigning a Field Marshall to Command Army Group
31:14 Deleting Orders Assigned to Divisions
31:48 Issuing Orders to Field Marshalls
33:52 Planning Attacks with Field Marshal Army Groups
35:54 Research - Notifications and Technology
39:34 Technology Research Tree in Detail
46:09 Civilian Factories & Military Factories Info
47:44 Trading & Resources & Factories FULLY EXPLORED
51:25 Resources - Excess vs Shortages
52:09 Exporting Resources - How & Where?
52:20 Factories Treated Like Money in HOI4
55:03 All Supplies Come From & Stored In Capital
56:33 Where Does My Excess Rubber Go?
57:05 Setting Military Factories to Build Stuff
58:09 Construction Menu to Build on Map
1:00:46 How to Build Tanks and Planes
1:01:35 How to Use Dock Yards to Build Navy
1:06:15 Exploring National Focuses
1:07:42 Views - Army Navy Air Supply
1:07:59 The Navy Basics - Flotillas
1:09:37 Setting up Navy Patrols
1:11:33 Navy Veterancy & Training
1:13:33 Recruit & Training New Divisions
1:17:34 Unassigned Divisions - Generals
1:19:03 The Generals & Improving Traits
1:20:00 BRB - Quick Break!
1:20:35 Generals, Divisions, Groups, Orders
1:25:02 Events & Decisions - Getting Free Stuff
1:25:45 Political Power, Advisors & Laws
1:28:02 The Air Force - How to use Planes?
1:35:50 Hiring a Military Theorist
1:37:07 Dockyards Available! Building New Ships
1:38:30 Armies & Divisions with NO orders
1:38:48 Defending an Area with Divisions
1:40:07 Training Divisions for Army XP
1:42:24 Modifying the Government (Political Power)
1:43:14 Use Space to Pause
1:43:32 Closer Look at National Focus Tree
1:46:12 What's Industrial Concern?
1:47:14 1st Research Completes - MORE!
1:48:43 Why Does Radio Matter in HOI4?
1:49:30 Building & Storing Equipment
1:51:27 Aircraft Training Completed
1:52:37 Sending New Divisions to Generals
1:53:06 Advanced Naval Order Functions
1:57:16 Getting an Extra Research Slot
1:58:10 Research Bonuses! Bigger Time Better Bonus!
1:59:30 Hiring Advisors to Build Stuff Quicker
1:59:49 The Military Officers Corps (I say chaps!)
2:02:47 Italy being Italy over in Africa
2:07:10 Recruiting New Air Squadrons
2:10:19 Building Navy, Ships & Dockyards
2:18:42 Infrastructure Upgrades Matter
2:22:14 Surface Flotilla Training
2:26:47 An Extra Research Slot!
2:29:38 Long Range Bombing
2:32:48 Spanish Civil War Begins
2:34:04 Controlling Panzer Tanks in Battle
2:41:10 Low Supply & Combat Supplies
2:49:33 Combining Germany & Austria
2:54:54 Extra Combat Stats - Field Marshal
2:57:39 Division Designer & Editor
3:12:34 Navy Chief & Messerschmitt
3:25:10 Want More? See 2024 Playlist in Description
-----

[@gameswithbrains]

So many People thankful for a video that finally breaks HOI4 down and *explains the core parts* of it properly. Go watch your half hour complete guide if you prefer, and I'll see you back here in 35 minutes! (when you realise like many others before you, it can't be done - no shame in trying though - I did too!) I have begun to add chapters for the first hour (I'll continue to add more in the coming days). If you doubt this video is worth your time, just take a gander through the comments. Put it this way, if you put your mind to it Saturday Breakfast, by lunchtime you'll get it, and by dinner time, you'll have half the world begging you for mercy! *milage may vary*

[@danielj7958]

Honestly best HOI4 tutorial. It will be amazing if you did one for Stellaris as well.

[@rickme2005]

Nice work man!

[@magrathean0]

The reason this video is so useful is that index! You put a lot of work into that and you have my sincere thanks. I played HOI2 years ago, so i had an advantage, but even with that advantage i found this game is very hard to get rolling.

[@RowntreeRobin]

Brilliant video!

[@MrPapajohn4]

Can you please make one for victoria 3? 😊

[@liamlovegrove4758]

I love that they made a game that was so complex and difficult that I've had to spend the last week watching hours of tutorials to even have a cursory understanding of this game lmao - Don't get me wrong though, it's worth every second! Thank you for providing some content that makes this whole phase of the experience much easier to take in :)

[@InvictusByz]

The classic Paradox Learning Cliff. All their Grand Strategy games are like that, but its so rewarding to be able to use all the mechanics once you understand them.

[@liamlovegrove4758]

@@InvictusByz I started on CK2. Moved up to CK3. Tried out EU4 - I thought that was hard, jeez. I gave Stellaris a go also. Unfortunately none of these games could prepare me for the sheer terror of having my valuable units destroyed after being enclosed on an unstable frontline with a big power. The helpless feeling cannot be matched!

[@pozzyvibes6997]

@@liamlovegrove4758 Honestly I feel like HOI4 is the hardest to learn. I managed to figure out CK2, CK3, EU4 and Stellaris just through my own time playing. HOI4 on the other hand I have over 200 hours in and still don't have a clue what on earth I'm actually doing.

[@mr_niceman]

@@liamlovegrove4758 CK series is probably the most intuitive ones for paradox games

[@JuergenGDB]

Yeah, I went back to the board games. This game is so overly complicated. Then you have Gary Grigsby's East Front... yeah super complicated but cool.

[@Bigballermvp]

I know hoi4 is a detailed game Because the guide is 3 hours long

[@gameswithbrains]

And that's without any addons too! I also prefer going to town on the basics, because glossing over them assuming people already know it, was the main thing that prevented me getting into this game sooner. I hope you found it useful, despite the long time

[@ollyf5088]

I Had to sink about 200 hours into it before I fully understood what I was doing.

[@Liam_Daly]

@@ollyf5088 I'm at 3000 and still don't know everything 😬

[@Liam_Daly]

@@gameswithbrains I love rewatching this, for small things I never picked up, like the bar under the commander's, I never really saw that, that shows how well they think they can do their job

[@DsgSleazy]

@@Liam_Daly I'm 30 into hoi4 and probably like 100 hours into guides and have never heard anyone say aching about the bars even though I noticed it after a couple hours.

[@jarniwoop]

I prefer your tutorial style. Very didactic. You start with the DLC turned off, and progress at a reasonable pace, unlike others who sound highly caffeinated and zoom through it click click click so fast I have to keep replaying points. Thank you very much.

[@gonzales7179]

Didn't think I would find such an amazing and up-to-date tutorial, thank you for creating this! Also, love the commentary - it's really enjoyable to listen to you, and your pacing and talking speed is perfect.

[@dirtyonion1]

This was remarkably helpful. I used this as a step-by-step guide to get used to everything. The first playthrough was overwhelming and this really helped with the learning curve. Thanks so much for the guidance!!

[@gameswithbrains]

You're very welcome!

[@JohnQ6]

Very, very useful for complete beginner. As the author says in the video you cannot learn this game in 10 minutes (even in 1 hour). He goes through things slowly enough that you can see what he does and how he does it. Other videos often skip bits or go so fast you can't follow what is happening. I found it very helpful to have the video and the game going at the same time. Thank you very much.

[@gameswithbrains]

Thanks - we sing from the same hymn sheet (don't tell em what I paid you to leave that comment!)

[@TheScandoman]

Really? Because G.W. Bush learned international warfare in 5 minutes! ....NOT! 😉

[@Kidraver555]

Same here, absolutely cleared the mist for me.

[@danb7202]

Modifiers 4:20 Divisions 8:52 20:58 Armies/generals 17:00 22:35 Research 36:00 Factories 46:10 57:40 production 1:03:56 Resources 47:50 Trade 52:10 Dockyards 1:01:46 National focus 1:06:15 Navy 1:07:52 1:53:15 Training 1:13:39 Decisions/advisors 1:26:11 Air Force 1:28:10 Officer corps 1:35:55

[@gameswithbrains]

Thanks I'll put these in when I'm next on PC, much appreciated

[@danb7202]

Nice, not even half way through I’ll get there I rly wanna learn this game but it’s so fucking confusing

[@Munich90210]

This definitely is one of the best tutorials I ever watched on YT! It's really enjoyable to listen to your explanations, perfect pacing and info, thanks for this!

[@kiwinesss]

I have just seen there is a part two for this. I am half way through this one now and will start the second one immediately. Your way of teaching a tutorial is very good, I really hope you make more.

[@tuesday0846]

that deep sigh while mentally preparing yourself to explain resource management lmao. I literally looked up this video because I was struggling to explain that exact thing to my friend. Great vid

[@gameswithbrains]

Haha.. that made me chuckle. Erm... Yeah!

[@BikeGremlinUS]

Love it how you took the time to explain what, and why you are doing (including what you click to get stuff done). Unlike many other tutorials that seem just "too fast." Highly appreciate your time and effort. Thank you. :)

[@marklemmert6840]

Thanks so much for making this video! I'm a long time civ player and this is my first Paradox game. I looked at the HOI4 in-game tutorial, wiki and some other getting started videos and yours is the first one that breaks it all down in a way that makes sense. Thanks again!

[@jorgelourosa]

This is the tutorial they should have included in the game.

[@OrangeNash]

Excellent tutorial. Nice to hear somebody explain things thoughtfully, rather than gabbling through a script at breakneck speed. BTW Guderian is pronounced like "Good Aryan". Which is ironic as he sometimes disobeyed orders, which made him a bad Aryan.

[@gameswithbrains]

Haha, I never considered that. Yeah some of my pronociations on names left a little to be desired, and as the tutorial went on, "baldy" kinda summed up where my mind was at!

[@kevinpeltz1783]

Thank you for taking the time to do this - it’s been heavy going trying to figure things out, and your primer has been a godsend to me!

[@gameswithbrains]

I'm glad. it took me ages to get my head round this years ago, coz it plays so differently when compared to other "RTS games"

[@mahakleung6992]

Thank you very much. I have not played for 2 years. I refreshed my missing DLCs the other day with the Steam sale. This tutorial brought back much of what I previously knew; although there are new aspects I see such as modular building of equipment. The last DLC I got was espionage before I stopped. I will probably play a vanilla game or two, then go on to spice it up with Expert AI. And if I still am playing by '25, then maybe some BI and MD. AGAIN THANK YOU FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE GENOROSITY TO WALK THROUGH A 3.5 HOUR VIDEO. SO, KIND OF YOU. YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON!!!

[@mikeha]

I was playing around with the recruit and deploy priorities, and the thing is, if upgrades are the same priority as new divisions, if you have a bunch of old equipment in stockpile, the new divisions will be equipped with the old equipment and get it upgraded later on. If the new divisions are higher priority, they will be equipped initially with old equipment but they will start receiving the new equipment while still in training. So to avoid new divisions with old equipment being deployed I think it's good to give new divisions a higher priority

[@Hesham_Mohammed]

This video should be in the main game tutorial, thank you

[@iMovieJoshua]

Thank you for this. I've got a couple hundred hours in this game and I learned quite a bit from this video. Keep it up!

[@smiggy1968]

This is an absolute top quality tutorial to this game. Thank you for creating it. Top job from a top Man

[@Nallo500]

Just got Hoi4 and its VERY overwhelming but your tutorial was very helpful in understanding the basics

[@steveremer6806]

The way you organize this tutorial is priceless some of the others spend so much time on stuff you don’t need right away and so little time on stuff that you do this is a beautiful piece of work

[@barrysworld640]

Wow! What an epic tutorial! Recently purchased HOI 4 then thankfully discovered and subscribed to your content. This is probably the most complex game I have ever played, BUT, thanks to this in-depth tutorial which I have watched once in its entirety and now going back to play along with you step-by-step, the fog of war is slowly clearing for me! I can't thank you enough for all the time and effort you put into this tutorial as found the in-game tutorial pretty useless. Amazing game and learning lots from you! Keep up the great content, sir! :)

[@capybaragames347]

This is a very good tutorial that goes over everything in Hearts of Iron IV. A 3 hour tutorial is needed for this game as there is too much to go over for just a 10 minute video. I also like that you talked about things as it happened in the game as it is a lot easier to follow. A lot of tutorials just skip to bits in a campaign which is honestly annoying.

[@thedragonborn6963]

I know I'm a year late, but I appreciate you going over all the little things. the complexity of this game is what kept me off for so long well, that and the fact that most tutorials don't go over the small stuff so I usually have no idea what I'm doing until now

[@VyBnSaturn]

I am so overwhelmed that I needed a break from the games 2 hours in without ever pressing play lol amazing tutorial though thanks mate

[@grooviegroves4683]

This is great and love that it's only from a few months ago. Very helpful for a big HOI noob like myself trying to get into it.

[@user-oz9gj1kf5w]

Youve explained the game mechanics better than I've seen elsewhere. Thank you for this video and please continue to make more content.

[@GuTTs1975]

sat through your whole tutorial and its the most clear out there. Thank you.

[@ODGamelord]

Great Video, really helped me to understand lots of elements. Great pace, simple terms used!!!

[@ThredithUndomiel]

Thank you for this video! The explanation was thorough, but easy to understand. It's the best tutorial for beginners that I've found thus far, and it's also up to date!

[@gameswithbrains]

This is exactly why I made the video. I am very pleased that I've been able to help more than a few people at this point get to grips with this really good game. The hardest part about this game is getting the basics down, after that, the world is your oyst....

[@senioritocyclist1422]

Thanks for this vids, I learned I lot of this complicated game. Every second of this vids were so important. Keep it up.

[@user-dg8ye6ue2k]

I love this and it's very helpful thankyou so much!

[@peterschaldemose7861]

I love your guide! Finally somebody who goes slowly and methodically. Funnily enough, it's the basic things that most frustrating. Where the feth do I find the buttons to do what I want ?!? This explains much of it! Thanks!

[@atomgaming1413]

one of the best turorial I have erer seen for HOI4 ... thank you so much for your explinations and tips you have mentioned

[@Roland_Deschain_of_Gilead19]

Thank you so much for this guide! The way you talked over things while showing them on screen was very effective in my opinion. Also, thanks for suggesting starting at "Civilian" as the gamer in me was telling me that choosing it wasn't an option.

[@SuperBalders]

Fyi: "Bubi" comes from "Bube" ("Boy", "the Kid", as you mentioned he joined war very late due to his age. In some connotation it can be used as "mean one", or even "villain"). Bubi is belittlement of Bube. If Bubi sounds too dirty, because of the similiar sound as word for female chest, then just call Hartmann Erich. As you certainly know, Bubi is a false friend to Boobie. Good video so far :)

[@shagakhan9442]

I have had Hoi4 languishing in my steam library for years, now I will finally play. Thank you for your great tutorial. I really appreciate you 🙏🏼

[@perthbusiness]

I just discovered this and found it really helpful, so thank you so much for all the effort you have put in to make it available.

[@Rodinal]

Thank you ! This is very helpful

[@theOzz13]

Outstanding tutorial. Probably the best of any game I've ever watched. Considering the complexity of this game that's quite incredible. This is going to cut down on some of the learning cliff and make it slightly curved. I appreciate it. Looking forward to your other videos!

[@Billy-zm9oe]

commenting time stamp so i can watch tomorrow 49:50 good video so far

[@ponca1813]

Thank you, sat through it all, really well done!

[@ShadowDoggie]

thank you so much for this!

[@JV-dr1ti]

Thank you for a wonderfully done tutorial. I gave up in this game years ago because the learning curve was steep & the game mechanics overly convoluted. But this video changed all that. I’m enjoying it much more now.

[@robwagnon6578]

I think once you get good, playing as Frances could be fascinating. Trying to undo the Blitzkrieg would be fun!

[@boonjamoon]

Best tutorial for this game I've seen so far. Thank you!!!

[@Chromatic_Gacha]

Thank you so so much for this tutorial it’ll definitely help me when I get the game for Christmas I’m going to start as Germany and focus on the four year plan and hopefully after some of the four year plan I could hopefully be able to build up our navy

[@gameswithbrains]

Germany is definitely the way to go on this game, once you've mastered it (pun intended) move onto the other nations. Britain, Italy and USA are enjoyable, but it's quite a change of gears (vs Germany) to have to let go of places you can't possibly win without massive casualties.

[@JonnyFloater123]

Realy appreciate your teach mate. Was very informative and best ive found out of all of them. This game has always been on the list, but the learning curve was daunting, you helped with over coming that.

[@gameswithbrains]

Kind words, thank you. You've no idea how comments like this made the hours I spent talking into the mic totally worth it.

[@beregu]

Thank you for taking your time creating this tutorial. I’m starting with Germany. 🎉

[@jasonruzicka7954]

bro....thank you. this is the golden one.

[@douglasspires8705]

Love your video. I learned so much from it. Kudos!

[@TheCannell]

Plenty of guides got me “started” but frequently hitting a wall because so much was missing or glossed over. Finally this popped up on my KZbin search!

[@greggoes]

I've owned this game for years, and have racked up about 15hrs total, because of the curve. This really breaks it down. So while I'm playing I'm just pausing and reviewing this video on that subject. My game has been uped big time with this, and it makes the game all the more fun. Thanks for a great video.

[@jamesalvarado9548]

Excellent video I watched it several times and getting comfortable with game. So glad to get away from MMO's that never end!

[@SociallyAwkwardPangolin]

I just want to say, thank you for this video. This is by far the best tutorial I have seen. I have been trying to figure out this game for 4 years off and on and just now finally decided to learn it and this is the best video I have seen.

[@peterf9380]

Thank you - wonderful walktrough!

[@matiasmaciel1681]

Thank you very much for these 3 hours! Very useful... and loved the historical references.. that is what I call added value to a tutorial! Do you have more recent videos about the game? Garrisons, actual attack dynamics, templates, and changes of government would be examples of possible topics... and I always get the feeling that I'm subutilizing the diplomacy as a way to strengthen my countries' position... btw, I'm from Argentina and I've always played with them... Always restarting when I find out new things, so I didn't finish any game so far... anyway, thanks for the time and dedication!

[@gameswithbrains]

You have given me a lot of ideas here, so thank you. To give them a fair video, I would have to do a fair bit of research into the mechanics of the game, which can be quite complex, and seem to change with almost every update and almost every add-on. I'm currently working on a request for combat width, and while by itself it's not too complicated, it's the sheer number of things to try and remember to actually make much use out of it. Perhaps a cheat sheet people can print off alongside the video is the way to go.

[@mdeerocks6792]

Fantastic tutorial, thank you.

[@diamondgaming63]

Amazing video, very well explained!

[@MrGrumblier]

This is one of the few games where I've actually had to watch a tutorial to do anything beyond reasearch.

[@SpartanTx22]

Thank you sir! Had this game for years just sitting uninstalled. Finally can make stuff happen!

[@freesulo9877]

Thank you very much for this!

[@C-141B_FE]

Holy smokes. Great tutorial! I'm enjoying this, thank you very much for putting the time aside to cover it.

[@gameswithbrains]

You're more than welcome, I had no idea it would help 250,000 people in a year. Every so often I go through the comments, and reading ones like yours made it very worth while, so thank you too.

[@adrowsdream]

Awesome tutorial!

[@PlazmadawgZA]

Thanks for the tutorial, I havent played HoI4 in a while. Reinstalled it and plan to get into it again with this tutorial. I love your comment on the four year plan 😂. I 100% agree

[@Zane4428]

Top notch video mate, well done.

[@JC-ki4wo]

Thanks a lot for this tutorial this was perfect to learn, definitely the best I've seen so far it helped me a lot. I am kind of feeling scared about how to continue after the end, it would be nice to have a full playthrough to continue even after invading Poland but it is already very nice I suppose i need to fly by my own and looose :)

[@CurtOntheRadio]

Good overview tutorial. Thanks!

[@lilfenixdragon]

Bless you laddie! Bless you!!

[@suxix7312]

Also if you just bought this game and try to play and you can't see any map colors go to your options and set it to direct x 9 driver. Not the 11. Hopefully that helps anyone dealing with that issue. I had it when I first bought the game and couldn't play it for almost two weeks bc without the color learning this game was very hard.

[@pengilenki2628]

man this was a amazing tutorial thank u

[@brianedwards9240]

This is a good pace tutorial. I figure it will take days to get through while I play the early game. I will probably have to rewatch because there is so much to this game. I am playing the U.S.A. and I have saved the game at the point of initial setup because I restart the game every time I learn something new that is really helpful.

[@Andymartin1175]

This is the longest video i've sat through from start to finish on youtube. Thank you for doing this. It's helped massively

[@gameswithbrains]

It's the longest video I ever made on KZbin also. I had no idea it was gonna be a full on 3.5 hour tutorial when I hit record, I guess it just began to really flow

[@stonekar]

this was incredibly helpful

[@nubtube7313]

Very helpful, thanks.

[@dowzer77]

outstanding work sir!

[@davidsnyder2818]

Following this in 2024, this has been extremely helpful! I spent about 2000 hours in EU4 so I'm excited to learn this game as well.

[@paulbaker45]

Great video. thank you so much for taking the time to make it.

[@Dan-wm3qh]

awesome tutorial. Thank you for your time, really helped me understand. Respect from U.S.

[@mikeha]

Be interested to hear more about what you think about the "official story" to WW2, like any books you read that covered the "real" history since this game is just the accepted narrative? The official story seems to be that they basically made up a new currency called the Rentenmark, backed by mortgages and agricultural real estate assets, and they called this a return to the gold standard, they pegged the value to what the old exchange rate was prior to hyperinflation. But this whole thing makes no sense to me. They were backing the new currency not with gold but with more debt, and that debt was valued in goldmarks which is what the old currency was before they abandoned the gold standard and it became the papermark. So their assets were really in papermarks, it seems they essentially declared this new currency to be worth some amount, and shazam! problem solved, 4.2RM = 1 USD. So essentially another fiat currency

[@gameswithbrains]

Hi Mike... I'm always SUPER EXCITED (really) to stumble into someone randomly on the interwebs that has a questioning mind, tries to stick narratives together, handed down by officialdom, and realises the whole thing makes zero sense... The problem is, this topic is so massive, and censorship is so rife if you stray even a little bit off the official story, its difficult to have an open discussion. If I were to talk to myself 20 years ago, I would say something like "look into his getaway to south america, look into the FBI declassified documents (still in their official vault website) that shows they were keeping tabs on him before XMAS 1945"... Why didn't the allies send a handful of crack special forces over and finish him off?? Was he perhaps part of a bigger plan? What about the economy, as you've pointed out, and all the ties with the british royals, and the USA Bush family (bankers at the time)?? How does a country that's completely broke, where paper money so worthless, stacked up, is used as giant lego bricks for kids to play with? Suddenly (6 years) builds autobahns, factories, war economy, and has full employment with everyone making money (i had a great grandad who died only a few years ago, bought a BIG house in 1936, big garden, my grandparents still live there today - and his job, was changing tyres for lorries... My point is "the little guy" in mid-late 30's germany was living as well as 2 skilled workers living as a couple, pooling their wages today)... Someone somewhere was financing this entire possibility. Don't get me wrong, the germans were primed for revenge also, treated very unfairly after ww1 (story goes, they were trying to help a weaker ally), and then had their country dismantled or sold off for pennies on the pound/dollar to unscrupulous folk. Of course having your country balkanised is always a recipe for some to wanna put it back together again, and of course the country had a guy held up, who said and did all the right things, that led to his absolute worship. Was H really a madman trying to takeover the world? or was he a stooge in place, pretending to be mad, to justify/explain away all the stupid military moves he did (like go into russia with the UK still there - an obvious entry for the US later on)... There's so many other things you pick up along the way, big and small, for example if you read one of the many very good memoirs by german soldiers and tank commanders in the war, you'll find a book with hundreds of pages of war and action, divided up with a few sentences here and there, where guys were on leave, perhaps wounded, or coming back to recieve some high level award etc - and these few lines provide massive insight into a guys honest thoughts, who really is writing a book about where he was fighting whom and how. Example - the guy's at home in Berlin, after being wounded, given a couple weeks off before he must return to the line vs Russia, and his brother works for the secure telecommunications in Berlin. It's later 1944, and Normandy is now a couple or so months in, the Germans are fighting a losing war on 2 fronts, getting pinched, and lost all air superiority 2 years previous. Bombing night after night with 1000+ bomber formations, with nothing much to do... This brother says - in german obviously - "I connected a top secret call the other day, Goering (luftwaffe chief) was asking H for permission to use "a couple of the special bombs against the allies...." then his Dad interrupts to say "ahhh, this is the wunderwaffe we've been hearing about - it will turn the tide of the war in our favour again" (clearly a reference to the a-bomb)... the brother continues "but H told him no, under no circumstances".... So why would a madman deny the use of the one weapon (2 in fact) that could potentially save him? Not only that, but months after the german surrender, japan receives not 1, but 2 a-bombs.... We're those the same 2 that H denied Goeing could use 12-15 months earlier? We'll never know for sure.

[@mikeha]

@@gameswithbrains wow a lot of good info there, seems like a lot of digging is required for WW2, as even James Corbett has not produced a documentary on it, although he did one for WWI. I'm actually reading through Rise and Fall of the 3rd Reich right now, which is from the point of view of a journalist living in the 3rd reich, pretty interesting so far though, although I don't know how much "real" history it would have in it. Also Churchhill's books on WWI and WWII are interesting although he was trying to justify a new world order in one of them, the only part I read so far, so I think he was more of a globalist

[@jose4life950]

@@gameswithbrains I guess herrman goering was referring to the use of chemical weapons as a solution to halt the Soviet advance but Mr schicklgruber refused since he endured the horror of this chemical weapon in ww1 which probably caused him Parkinson disease in his final years. Who knows !maybe the Germans really had wunderwaffe , the weapons chief Hans kammler whom was responsible for the v2 production disappeared after the war and there was nothing official about him. A bit suspicious.

[@ragnarok283]

We all know it’s the juice 🧃

[@Hilaire_Balrog]

@@gameswithbrainsok , this comment earned you a new subscriber! One thing I have learned being a history and political buff with a wide range of reading, the official narrative is rarely the fully true one. Especially when one is censored , or “cancelled” in today’s terminology,for offering a potentially counter narrative.

[@braddladd6295]

I love this tutorial and the way you explained how to do everything, but my game had the Spanish civil war breakout in April instead of December. Is there any reason for that, or is it just because of an update?

[@gothscvm2878]

Damn my Spanish civil war popped off like a hour ago or something. (I’m following along play by play. After failing to teach myself with all but the newest dlc on with that Italian tutorial.) I also might have a weird mod running atm or the civil war just pops off at drastically different times per game. Also 2hours 30 some minutes in and I think this is one of the better KZbin guides for sure. Already got a WAY stronger grasp of what’s going on in just 2 hours.

[@cameronicheddarcheese]

Thank you thank you thank you. I tried to watch some shorter tutorials (as you mentioned) and it just didn't work. This video allowed me to finally start understanding and playing the game

[@gameswithbrains]

I'm glad that all the extra time and effort put into this video has made a difference for you as well... If you need some extra information on division combat width in HOI4, I put a new video up a few days ago specifically focusing on this aspect... And as you'd expect, I didn't rush through it all in 5 minutes. Cheers!

[@Armydog-wc3hd]

Thank you for this walk thru. I'm retired and also have MS and was looking for something to keep my mind active and this game caught my attention. I was worried about the complexity of the game but not any longer after your videos. Please keep doing these types of starter guides for us old people who didn't grow up with computers. I'm 60 incase you were wondering.

[@gameswithbrains]

It means a lot to have read your comment, and find that it was helpful. Im response to your request for more, I did a longer, more broken down 2024 series for this game that I encourage you to take a look at. I am really pleased that there are still plenty of people out there, who appreciate the extra length it takes for a longer video, that the edited down, high speed content.

[@garym5480]

Ive watched loads of beginner tutorisls and whilst they have been good none have been as excellent and indepth ss this. This is by far the best tutorial i have watched for any game. A brilliant job. Should be a yardstick for EVERY TUTORIAL posted on here. Well done fantastic effort!!!!!

[@gameswithbrains]

Thanks for your kind words, I could say the same about your comment, and how it's nice to read someone got so much out of it. Thanks

[@unofficialstatus3877]

very thankful for this bro, I just bought this yesterday because of sale, tho I played this with my friends acc in the past and it overwhelmed me every battle is lost, idk wtf do I do, this is a huge help for noobs like me, and its even a latest tutorial thats a huge + right there! btw are there part where dlc tutorials is here too or not? are youre ever gonna make it with tutorials for dlc because I have all

[@ryanyoung2504]

So glad I’ve finally mustered up the courage to learn the game that is going to entertain me for hundreds of hours!

[@jamesclark9494]

I'm so glad I found your tutorials; they have been a tremendous help. For an Admiral like Donitz commanding Subs, which traits would be best to pick? Not sure which route to take with Silent Hunter or Lancer?

[@gameswithbrains]

Hey, it's really a question of defense Vs attack... If your low on subs, and struggling a bit, being harder to spot is definitely a bonus you might consider. If however your numbers are good, and you're churning out a healthy amount as well, you may prefer to have additional screen penetrating abilities. If this were a tank, think of it like "extra piercing" Vs "extra Armour".

[@cabininthewoods3750]

Excellent! I'm ready for a hat popping good time!

[@terrylamplough6788]

Thank you for taking the time to do this - Brilliant. Has anyone said you sound like Prof Cox

[@gameswithbrains]

Haha, nobody ever said that to me.. it's funny though, the more Ive done videos over the last year or 18 months (over 3 channels) the more someone will say "you sound like X." "Are you really X?" " I think this is the guy off who sings/plays/KZbin channel X" I hate to disappoint them all, and say NOPE - it's just me, and if you passed me in the street, neither of us would never know

[@maxmoanz6561]

Hey man, thanks for the tutorial its very helpful. Is it possible to add chapters to it by chance? If not its ok!

[@JosephGastelum-rt4cg]

Just watching this now and this is just what I needed to learn this game.

[@blacklight4720]

Eh, people are overprizing this tutorial. It's long which is nice. Add sections with time stamps, it would help people figure out what they want to listen to. I did not notice a section about Colonies and the economy. For a beginner, why does Colonies economy work at reduced efficiency compared to the country I'm playing with? (Belgium for example) Why can't I build civilian factories on Belgian African colonies?

[@JustStop19]

First time HOI4 player here! I love EU, Stellaris, CK and Victoria, but this is uncharted territory for me and I am enjoying it with your detailed vid!

[@greenscheme2040]

Just got the game several days ago and was completely post. Thanks so much for your video. I'd be totally lost without it. I had no idea what the tons of keys and icons did. Hell, I didn't know there was more than one page in Research and thought all you did was research army stuff I was so lost. Imagine my surprise to find there were teeny tiny icons to other research pages I could click on, haha. (Well they are tiny on my laptop anyway). Anyhow I'm going to try USA 1936 at first despite it's size just to learn pre-war stuff like factories, infrastructure, building units at a more leisurely pace and templates etc without worrying about September 1939 approaching quickly. After that I'll get more into the battle stuff and other countries. I'm just methodical and like to start with page 1 and your tutorial helped way more than you can dream of for me so I am in your debt, good sir!

[@greenguy1408]

This is a nice slow informative recent tutorial. I looked at the length of the vid and went....dayum idk....but it's worth watching the whole thing as a new guy. Thank you very much :)

[@gameswithbrains]

Glad it was helpful!

[@laff__8821]

the timestamp is the only thing missing in this video(even if this video is really hard to timestamp correctly). then it wold be perfect! i just had some trouble going back on some parts i might have missed but it still helped a ton, thank you.

[@jamesbarker4337]

best Hearts of Iron 4 ive watched thanks