Alliance Workings?

[Hussar]

So how do I "request" that my two Allies for over 15 years enter the war on my side? Or is it just on their whim?

Anything I can do to increase their desire to participate? I've alwys answered the "call" for them, so it'd be nice if they help me out now.

Thanks!

[m4rek]

Mostly just at their convenience. It depends a lot on their tensions with whoever you're at war with.

[Silamon]

At the start of a war you get a choice of whether you want to demand allies to honor the alliance (they can still refuse though), tell them you can manage on your own until they are ready, or just tell them to do whatever they want.

IIRC you only get the one chance, after that there are a few factors that matter. Low tension with you and high tension with your opponents will greatly increase the odds, but also relative strength matters. If you are playing Germany in 1890s and have an alliance with AH for example, they are not likely to join a war against Great Britain because GB will still have overwhelming superiority even 2v1.