Have you jumped into Victoria 3 for the first time and you’re wondering how to declare war? Here’s what you need to know.
Declaring war in Victoria 3 seems unbelievably complicated on a first glance, but thankfully it’s remarkably simple when you know how. Importantly, it’s incorporated thematically well into the rest of the game.
Victoria 3: a reason to declare war
Firstly, you need a reason for your nation to go to war, an outcome you want to achieve. This could be anything from conquering a state, opening up a closed market or cutting a nation down to size. In Victoria 3 this is called a diplomatic play: you are trying to force an issue, often down the barrel of a rifle. If this leads to war then these plays become your war goals.
You can’t just force a diplomatic play where you like, however. You’ll need to have a declared interest in the area of the world that corresponds to the war goal you seek. You will always have an interest in any region you hold incorporated states, as well as any direct neighbours. If you are looking to pursue war goals outside of your homelands, then you will have to declare interest in that area. You’ll need to state that you have an investment in that area of the world. By stating this you are able to intervene in the politics of the area, receive trade and if need be start a war.
Declare your interest in war
Declaring interest in an area in Victoria 3 is simple. Click the diplomacy lens at the bottom of the screen. Go to ‘regional actions’, and in there is a button to declare interest.
The higher your standing is on the main stage, the more regions you’ll be able to declare an interest in. You may need to move your glance from one area to another to be able to start a diplomatic play there.
However, before you are able to start the diplomatic play (and potential war) on your opponent, you must have a low standing of them. If your country judges them to be allies then you will have to change that. To do this, go to their country’s page and in the interactions tab you can lower relations for a diplomatic cost (it’s unlikely that you won’t have enough diplomatic power to do so). You can also expel diplomats for a quicker mood change, but this will cost infamy.
Start a diplomatic play
Once you have enough hostility, and have declared interest in your opponent’s part of the world, then you are able to start a diplomatic play.
To make a diplomatic play in Victoria 3, click the diplomatic lens and view the plays you could make. Alternatively, you can use the interactions tab of your opponent’s nation. All the available plays will be listed, and you can pick your fancy of future war goals.
This will start an escalation of activity and a countdown to war. Any nation that also has interest in that area of the world will then be able to join the conflict. Allies will automatically join: some may join on their own volition but other nations can be swayed using diplomatic manoeuvres. Your total manoeuvre value is listed on the diplomatic plays display. You can also use these manoeuvres to add extra war goals.
Depending on the power and demands placed, your opponent will either stay firm and go to war or accept your demands without blood being spilt.
In short, to declare war in Victoria 3, you must have interest in a region of your opponents and have negative opinion of them. You may then start a diplomatic play that will lead to war if your demands aren’t met.
