If you're choosing England and France, probably yes. The best advice for Austria is to be lucky. If you can ride the early storm it is one of the best countries to play.

Always always always Italy as your first choice. Try to get Russia on your side as well. Ignore the west entirely for the early game, and make sure Germany agrees to DMZ Bohemia and Tyrolia.

Out of curiosity, how does one make sure of anything another player does?

Don't ask Germany to dmz tyrolia or bohemia. If he has that idea, he's going to use it, but it's incredibly rare that will even cross his mind. Do talk to Germany, though, because he can have some powerful influence on Russia, especially before Russia has sweden. As Austria, I'm always eager to see a Lepanto.

Conflict between Russia and Turkey, and Italy doing literally anything other than fighting you, are the diplomatic goals for year 1. Conventionally, your preferred early allies are Italy>Russia>Turkey, and your preferred path of expansion will move either north or south from the Balkans.

The key to a 1901 isn't to pick the right opening, it is to make allies and relationships. As Austria, some basic goals are: find Italy somewhere to go that isn't Austria, try to get Russia to get a second southern fleet or at least go north, get Turkey going north, etc. Here are two examples of a strong R/A alliance that had a clear vision from 1901:

gameID=164615
gameID=148522

Oh, and DO NOT Key Lepanto (Italy with armies in Serbia and Tunis at the end of 1901). Do a standard Key (Italy with an army in Serbia and a fleet in Aegean Sea) at your own risk.

I see, so the key is to get Russia to go south. That was my mistake. I kept trying to get Turkey to go north against Russia.

Well, you want both.

That's definitely not the *key*. If there is a *key*, it is to get Italy to not attack you. Something to try if you are having trouble with that is to be more explicit with Italy that if they attack you you will prioritize defending Trieste/Vienna at the cost of losing Greece/Serbia to Turkey.

You should be able to handle R/T fine as long as Italy is on your side.

The only time I've ever survived as Austria was by attacking Italy first. Italy almost always stabs sooner or later anyway.

I use the same Austrian opening every time because it will yield 2 builds the first year guaranteed. I'm sure most of you know it:
Vie to Tri, Tri to Alb, Bud to Ser.
In fall 1901:
Tri H, Alb to Gre, Bud S Alb to Gre
If Italy is hostile and does the anti-Austria opening, Ven to Tyr, Rom to Ven, Nap to Ion or Apu, then Support your hold in Trieste with Serbia and still send the fleet to Greece.
The only other Austrian opening I consider is the Anti-Italy opening:
Bud to Tyr, Tri to Adr, Bud to Tri. But, it leaves Serbia and Greece to Turkey and Russia. Austria should always ally with Italy before the game begins.

You must be very confident that you can DMZ Gal every game.

You must really not trust Italy

4 OF SWORDS IS A GOOD BEGINNING. getting Germany to talk is easy enough he has to talk ..his first year gains are easrier in the nth.

Italy /triest is important. gaining Serbia and sliding south is a good start as well.

by then you should have abteer feel on who to trust least out of zturkey/Italy/Russia.

remember Italy is harder tp play and get a result from so is a good sourse of sc or holding your west flank whilst you sort out he east screaming juggernuaght behind closed doors..

There's only one good Austrian opening - to Galicia, Serbia and Venice respectively.