Faction

A faction is a coalition of nation states that are allied to each other.

Rules

A country may only create a new faction if the respective country rule is enabled. At the start of the game only the three existing faction leaders  Germany, the  United Kingdom and the  Soviet Union have this rule. Other nations gain the capability to form their own factions through their national focus trees. Joining a faction is again limited by country rules. Depending on ideology and national spirits, countries need various amounts of world tension before they can join or ask someone to join a faction.

Faction members share military access with one another and see accurate intelligence in the diplomacy screen of their allies.

Factions rules can amend some country rules such as the ability to justify war goals on other countries of the same ideology or which actions are allowed in peace conferences.

Faction members can choose to leave a faction, but this causes a significant relations modifier faction traitor (-75 relations). A faction member cannot leave while fighting a war on the side of other members. The faction leader may kick another country out even while at war or disband the faction altogether if it contains no other members than themselves and their subjects. If the faction leader ceases to exist, the largest remaining member takes over.

If a country fights alongside major allies, it will only surrender once all of the majors have surrendered. For instance if Poland joined the Allies, it will not surrender before the United Kingdom and France surrender.

Faction leader

A faction leader in HOI4 is the leader of a faction. The default faction leaders in-game are the  United Kingdom leading the Allies,  German Reich leading the Axis and the  Soviet Union leading the Comintern. They are usually joined by  Japan leading the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere, and  China leading the Chinese United Front.

If the faction leader ceases to exist, the largest remaining member takes over.

Diplomatic Actions

The faction leader may kick another country out even while at war or disband the faction altogether if it contains no other members than themselves and their subjects.

Assuming Leadership

To be able to take over leadership in the faction they are in, a country must:

• Have more than twice the deployed manpower of the faction leader (subjects count, but at varying strength depending on autonomy)
• Have more than 150% of the factories of the faction leader
• Be in every war the faction leader is currently in
• Not having capitulated already

After paying 200 political power, the country can become faction leader, with all the benefits it entails. (note: this is a DLC feature)

Allies

The Allies are the main democratic faction, led by the United Kingdom.

Start date members

1936	1939
United Kingdom  Canada  British Raj  Australia  New Zealand  South Africa  British Malaya	United Kingdom  Canada  British Raj  Australia  New Zealand  South Africa  British Malaya  France

Axis

The Axis are the main fascist faction, led by Germany.

Start date members

1936	1939
Germany	Germany  Slovakia  Italy

Comintern

The Third Communist International, abbreviated as the Comintern, is the main communist faction, led by the Soviet Union.

Start date members

1936	1939
Soviet Union  Tannu Tuva  Mongolia	Soviet Union  Tannu Tuva  Mongolia

The Chinese United Front

The Chinese United Front is a smaller faction that may be formed by Nationalist China in order to unite the Chinese against the Japanese invaders. Note that it does not exist in the 1936 start date. The United Front will be formed by  China, which will annex the Warlords states (except Sinkiang) and  People's Republic of China will annex  Shanxi. With Waking the Tiger, the Chinese United front can be formed by both  China and  Communist China (With many different names depending of who forms it) and will not only include those two nations but also the Warlord cliques ( Shanxi,  Xibei San Ma,  Yunnan,  Guangxi Clique and  Sinkiang).

Start date members (Without Waking the Tiger)

1936	1939
–	China  Communist China

Start date members (With Waking the Tiger)

1936	1939
–	China  Communist China  Shanxi  Xibei San Ma  Yunnan  Guangxi Clique  Sinkiang

Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere (formerly known as Daitoa Kyoeiken) is a faction formed by  Japan after following the focus Purge the Kodoha faction and Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. It's formed with the objective of creating a pan-Asian bloc led by Japan.

Starting members

Start date members)

1936	1939
–	Japan  Manchukuo  Mengkukuo

Other possible factions

All countries (except the  British Raj with Together for Victory, though this may be an oversight) can acquire the ability to create factions through their national focus tree. In general, these have no default name, with the player choosing a name when inviting the first member. Several specific factions, inspired by counterfactual history, do have pre-set names, however, and are listed below.

Novus Imperium Romanum

The Novus Imperium Romanum (New Roman Empire) is a faction that may be formed by  Italy after taking the National Focus 'Italy First'.  Bulgaria will be an initial member.

Possible members

•  Bulgaria - First member
•  Romania
•  Nationalist Spain
•  Greece
•  Turkey
•  Yugoslavia

The Berlin-Moscow Axis

Can be created by the German Reich after the National Focus 'Alliance with the USSR', this alliance will be comprised of  Germany and the  Soviet Union.

Possible members

•  Turkey (through National Focus "Puppet Turkey")

Asian Communist Solidarity

(Waking the Tiger) Can be created by  Japan with the  People's Republic of China after going communist.  Sinkiang is also a potential member if not in a faction yet.

French-Entente Alliance

The French Entente is a faction that can be formed by  France with the 'Little Entente' National Focus. When this faction is formed, France won't join the Allies. Based on the real life alliance with the objective of preventing Hungary rearming and/or a Habsburg restoration in Austria.

Possible members

•  Czechoslovakia - First member
•  Yugoslavia
•  Romania

Międzymorze

Active with Poland's unique focus tree available through the free DLC with the 'Between the seas idea'. It will be formed by  Poland and can be expanded to include the Baltic states. The faction has bases on the historical idea of the Intermarium, in polish Międzymorze, a plan created by politician Józef Piłsudski in which the eastern European countries that broke free from Russian control would create a federation between the Baltic and Black seas. In the game, however, the Międzymorze is only a military alliance.

Possible members

•  Lithuania
•  Estonia
•  Latvia
•  Kingdom of Romania

Northern Sovereignty Coalition

(Together for Victory) If  Canada chooses to become independent from the  United Kingdom and become fascist it can either join the Axis or support fascism in  Mexico and create the Northern Sovereignty Coalition. Doing this can give a favourable outcome in a war with the  United States.

North-American Alliance

(Together for Victory) If  Canada remains democratic but becomes independent and leaves the Allies, it can invite the  United States into a new democratic faction called the North-American Alliance.

The South-West Pacific Initiative

(Together for Victory) An independent, democratic  Australia can invite the  United States into this faction.

Western Pacific Sphere

(Together for Victory) An independent, fascist  Australia can invite  Japan (if not yet in the Axis) into this faction.

African People's Union

(Together for Victory) An independent, communist  South Africa can form this faction. It has no default members and will have only South Africa at the game start, however, they can conquer colonies from  Portugal;  Belgium;  United Kingdom and create puppets.

Possible members

•  Kenya
•  Botswana
•  Angola
•  Mozambique
•  Zaire
•  Ethiopia (rare)

French Alliance

If the Little Entente has not been created but  France backs  Czechoslovakia in the Sudetenland crisis (or  Yugoslavia in the ahistorical Slovenia crisis), and Britain does not, then France will create a faction called the French Alliance, and invite Czechoslovakia/Yugoslavia.

Domination Française

If  France becomes fascist, it can invite  Italy (via the 'Woo Italy' focus) into the 'Domination Française' faction.

Pan-Slavic Worker's Congress

(Death or Dishonor) If  Yugoslavia becomes communist, it can invite  Bulgaria and  Albania into this faction. It should be noted that Albania isn't a Slavic country, although former communist head of state Enver Hoxha did fear a Yugoslavia annexation.

Czech Entente

(Death or Dishonor) An independent, democratic  Czechoslovakia can invite  Romania,  Yugoslavia, and  Hungary into this faction.

Pact of Rome

(Death or Dishonor) An independent, fascist  Hungary can invite  Austria and  Italy into this faction. However, it is important to note that  Italy will still be able to form its own faction.

Central European Alliance

(Waking the Tiger) If  Germany chooses to oppose Hitler and reestablish democratic elections, it will eventually create the Central European Alliance in opposition to the Soviets and eventually offer membership to a number of non-fascist, non-communist countries across Europe. Potential members include  Austria,  Czechoslovakia,  Hungary,  Yugoslavia,  Romania,  Netherlands,  Belgium,  Luxembourg,  Norway,  Sweden,  Denmark,  Estonia,  Latvia,  Lithuania,  Poland, and  Finland.

Central Powers

(Waking the Tiger) If  Germany chooses to oppose Hitler and reestablish the German monarchy, then it will form this faction and attempt to restore  Austria-Hungary and reestablish monarchy in  Italy. The German Empire in this case will very likely attempt to regain its 1914 borders while Austria-Hungary will be going after its old imperial possessions in central Europe ( Czechoslovakia,  Hungary and parts of  Yugoslavia). All other Non-Aligned nations in Europe are eligible candidates for membership.

Mutual Assistance Bloc

(Waking the Tiger) If  Communist China decides to go down the "Agrarian Socialism" route of its focus tree, they will eventually create this faction. Potential members are any communist nation in China, like  Sinkiang.

Cordon Sanitaire

(Death or Dishonor) When  Romania chooses the focus of the same name, this faction will form, with  Poland being invited.

Anti-Communist Bloc

(Waking the Tiger)  Germany can take the focus "Tackle the Communist Threat" to create this faction.

Anti-Soviet Pact

If the  Soviet Union attacks a signatory of the Anti-Soviet Pact, Germany can create a faction of the same name.

Balkan Entente

(Death or Dishonor) If  Romania doesn't accept the Hungarian Rearmanent they can create the Balkan Entente with  Czechoslovakia and  Yugoslavia.

Balkan Pact

(Death or Dishonor)  Hungary can create this faction by taking the focus of the same name and later invite  Romania.

Bucharest Accords

(Death or Dishonor)  Romania can create this faction after taking the focus "Align Hungary" if  Hungary agrees.

Daitoa Kyoeiken

(Together for Victory) If  New Zealand offers to join  Japan, the latter can form this faction with them.

Government of National Defense

(Waking the Tiger) If  Communist China takes the focus "Government of National Defense", they can form this faction with main China.

House Bernadotte

(Death or Dishonor) If  Hungary takes the focus "Elect a Democratic King" and becomes democratic, they or  Sweden will get the option to form a faction if the other one is at war.

The New International

(Waking the Tiger) If after  Japan completes the focus "Join Comintern" the  Soviet Union is not in a faction or not communist, Japan will form this faction.

The Old Alliance

(Waking the Tiger) If after  Japan completes the focus "Rekindle the Old Alliance" the  United Kingdom is not in a faction or not democratic,  Japan will form this faction and invite the  United Kingdom.

The People's Front

(Waking the Tiger) If the  Soviet Union decides to support a warlord,  Communist China doesn't accept defeat and they are separated by another country (typically  Xibei San Ma), that country may support  Communist China and form this faction.

Union of Communist Soviets

(Death or Dishonor) If  Hungary takes the focus "The Revolutionary Council", they will form this faction.

West Pacific Treaty Organization

(Waking the Tiger) If  Japan takes the focus of the same name, they will form this faction.

Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance

(Man the Guns) If the  United States takes the focus "Hemisphere Defense", they will form this faction and automatically invite all Latin American nations of its ideology into it.

Anglo-Italian Pact

(Man the Guns) If the  United Kingdom becomes fascist, they can invite  Italy to this faction.

British Communist Alternative

(Man the Guns) If the  United Kingdom becomes communist but doesn't align with the Soviet Union, they can form this faction.

Commonwealth of Nations

(Man the Guns)  Canada automatically creates and invites  Australia and  New Zealand to this faction if the  United Kingdom becomes fascist, communist or non-aligned.

Hispanic Alliance

(Man the Guns) If  Mexico becomes fascist under the Gold Shirts, it can invite Latin American countries to this faction.

Synarchist Pact

(Man the Guns) If  Mexico becomes fascist under the synarchists, it can invite Latin American countries to this faction.

Bolivarian Alliance

(Man the Guns) If  Mexico becomes communist, it can invite Latin American countries to this faction.

4th International

(Man the Guns) If  Mexico becomes communist and decides to create a new international, they can form this faction.

Community of Nations

(Man the Guns) If  Mexico becomes democratic and decides to take the focus of the same name, they can form this faction with the  United Kingdom if the  United Kingdom is not already in a faction.

Benelux

(Man the Guns) If the  Netherlands chooses to become democratic but doesn't align with Britain, it can invite  Belgium and  Luxembourg to this faction.

European Union

(Man the Guns) If the  Netherlands chooses to become democratic but doesn't align with Britain, it can invite all democratic nations in Europe to this faction.

Generic faction names

The following names are used by AI countries when creating ad-hoc factions and have no particular historical background:

Democratic

• The <continent> Association
• The <continent> Entente
• The <faction leader> Concordat
• The <faction leader> Union
• <continent> Coalition
• <continent> Federation

Communist

• The <faction leader> Compact
• <continent> Syndicate
• The <continent> Combine
• The <continent> Pact
• The <faction leader> Bloc

Fascist

• Brotherhood of <continent>
• <continent> Group
• The <continent> League
• The <continent> Confederacy
• <continent> Confederation

Non-aligned

• <continent> Defense League
• The <faction leader> Congress
• The <continent> Alliance
• Confederate <continent> Nations
• The <faction leader> Coalition