I think there are worse options than not moving, or than submitting a completely pointless opening (i.e. Turkey: Smy-Ank, Ank-Con, Con-Smy or England: Edi-Yor, Liv-Yor, Lon-Yor). You could put yourself into a substantially worse position than you started off in.

For instance, Italy could order:
F Nap-Rom
A Rom-Apu
A Ven-Tus

I think that particular opening is appreciably worse than failing to move at all in Spring 1901, and there are probably similarly bad openings for other countries as well.

England:
A Liv-Cly
F Edi-Yor
F Lon-Wal

Austria:

F Tri-Adr
A Vie-Boh
A Bud-Vie

Unfortunately the start of this game was just before the code upgrade so you cannot see the exact units but as France I had italy to piedmont, germany to burgundy and England to the Channel..... the key to getting out of it to diplome like hell, offer anything in order to get them to show you mercy.

http://phpdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=3027

Worst possible moves all depend on the moves of other players and how you respond to the moves of other players in Autumn 01. Sometimes not moving can be helpful because it lets you see whether people mean what they say about DMZ arrangements you might think you have!

Well what about this: (For the Demise of Austria)

Austria: F Tri - Alb, A Bud - Rum, A Vie - Bud
Turkey: F Ank - Bla, A Con - Bul, A Smy - Con
Russia: F Sev - Bla, A Mos - Ukr, A War - Gal, F Stp - GoB
Italy: A Rom - Ven, A Ven - Tri, F Nap - Ion
Germany: A Mun - Tyr, the others...whatever

Austria looks f***ed up now...
Fall: Let's see how Austria can survive! He's going to be kicked out of Rum, forced out of Vienna, bounced in Greece. (That is, if the other countries cooperate.)
As for Serbia...let it be a silent monument to the Death of Austria.

I got killed like this in a face-to-face by Autumn 1902.

Yes. I was there...

I think the worst possible opening for Austria is:

F Tri-Adr
A Vie-Boh
A Bud-Vie

The question here isn't of what happens when other countries intelligently gang up on you. It's of how you can most ridiculously shoot yourself in the foot during Spring 1901.

The worst opening antagonises everyone, without the matching aggression in your diplomacy. Germany can go badly wrong by attacking both Austria and Russia, and sacrificing both Denmark and Holland.

I once tried to figure out the easiest way for two countries to swap home centers; it turns out it's really impractical for anyone except Italy and Austria to try it. I think Italy and Austria could do it in two years without ever having to destroy a unit.

Also, the Austrian opening I've always wanted to do, but never had the balls for, is F Tri-Adr, A Vie-Tyr, A Bud-Tri. You're completely open to invasion, but unless Italy attacks you, Venice is yours.

If you're playing Fleet Rome, it's virtually unstoppable.

England:
Edi->North Sea
Lon->North Sea
Liv->York
It's worse than not moving. I know. I did it once in Niobium? (I'm not sure and I'm not going to relive it by checking.)

I did menace3society's Austrian opening once, in an alliance with Germany. I took ven and ser and stalled. I was able to keep Russia and Turkey at each other's throats for a few years, but eventually they realized that my diplomacy had no teeth. The game ended in an easy Russian solo.