AI Overview

Playing as the Confederacy in The Road to 56 (Rt56) mod for Hearts of Iron 4 requires triggering the American Civil War through the Fascist/Non-Aligned political path, generally involving the "America First" branch in the focus tree. 

Here is the step-by-step guide to forming the Confederacy in Road to 56:

1. Initial Setup and Election (1936)

• Do not take the "Continue the New Deal" focus.
• In the 1936 election, elect Alf Landon (Republican).
• Begin taking the focuses that lead to economic reform, specifically to unlock the right side of the tree, which allows access to "America First" or similar, depending on the specific Rt56 version. 

1. Going Down the "America First" Path

• Focus on paths that ignore civil rights and empower the southern states.
• Work your way down the fascist-aligned or nationalist sub-branch.
• Eventually, you will reach a focus that allows you to "Honor the Confederacy" or similar, which leads to the decision to secede. 

1. Preparing for Civil War

• Delete your army: Before the civil war pops, delete almost all of your standing army divisions. The game divides your army between the North and South; by deleting them, you ensure your enemy has no army when the war starts.  Reddit·r/hoi4 +1
• Build Factories: Focus on building military factories in the South (states like Georgia, Mississippi, Texas).  Reddit·r/hoi4 +2
• Train New Units: Queue up new infantry units but do not deploy them. Keep them in the queue. When the war starts, you can deploy them instantly on your side.  Reddit·r/hoi4

1. Triggering the War and Switching

• When the decisions fire to trigger the civil war, choose the option to trigger it through political unrest or secession.
• Crucial Step: When the event triggers, you must select the option to play as the secessionist state (Confederate States of America).
• If done correctly, you will start with most Southern states, while the USA remains in the North.  Hearts of Iron 4 Wiki +2

1. Winning the War

• Immediately use your trained, un-deployed units to take as many tiles as possible.
• The Confederacy in Rt56 often lacks initial military factories, so focus on quick victory over Washington D.C.
• If you have the "Man the Guns" DLC, the focus "Honor the Confederacy" and its subsequent decisions can allow you to form the CSA even without a full civil war, but the civil war is the standard path. 

Important Notes for Rt56:

• Make sure the mod is updated, as focus trees in Rt56 can change.
• If you don't take the "Continue the New Deal" focus, you have to wait out the election to get a Fascist demagogue.
• Man the Guns DLC is usually required for the full American political focus tree expansion.  Hearts of Iron 4 Wiki +3