Germany and Russia traditionally have a lot of trouble with gunboat. France and England are strong, but they're both counterpoints to Austria, so they attract heat for Austria instead of competing. Italian players that attack Austria often trigger a Juggernaut in gunboat, so that removes Italy as a credible threat. And Austria above all has the power to keep Turkey bottled up around Bulgaria. Someone has to help Turkey out of there, the only power that would is Russia and Russia is still very easily suppressed because it is often pressured somewhere else.

Given that it's not neighbors to 2 of the 3 traditionally strongest gunboat powers in France and England, and that all of its neighbors sans Turkey are both weak at gunboat and largely unable to attack Austria or seal their own fate in doing so, and that Turkey can't escape on its own... is Austria better off in gunboat? And if so, what about gunboat makes this so?