As East Africa entered the Third Five-Year Plan and continued developing its domestic industry, other parts of the world were far from peaceful. Contradictions among the European nations grew ever sharper, most notably the contest among Britain, France, and Germany. Secondary conflicts were reflected in the dispute between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Russia over influence in the Balkans.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire and Russia both faced acute domestic problems, which made them weak links in the chain of imperialism.
Yes, Ernst had placed the Austro-Hungarian Empire on the same level as Russia. This could be seen from the outcome of the First World War in his previous life: a coup took place within Russia, but the new government at least preserved most of its interests, whereas the Austro-Hungarian Empire was directly carved to pieces. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was the genuine greatest loser of the First World War.
Thus, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Russia could be said to have met their match. Their dispute in the Balkans had a long history, making them natural rivals. If their old enemy, the Ottoman Empire, had not declined, perhaps another table of "Fight the Landlord" could have been set up in Central and Eastern Europe, forming Europe's two great card games alongside the British, French, and German bloc in Western Europe.
Compared with the original history, after Italian unification failed, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was actually much stronger than it had been in the same period of history. At the very least, the threat of Italy to the west no longer existed, allowing the Austro-Hungarian Empire to spare more energy for competing with Russia in the Balkans.
After the Russo-Japanese War, Russia had lost tremendous face, making the Austro-Hungarian Empire even more overbearing in the Balkans. Yet overall, a camel starved to death was still bigger