National Focuses always succeed even just barely. Orders can fail. Those orders can be used to do whatever you want with your country. War Orders only pertain to well war, troop movements and attacking and stuff. Its all fairly simple.

As for the economic crisis its largely over now in most countries, it was fairly quick depression. I wouldn't recommend just declaring independence seeing as most of your troops by now are in a foreign country.

In the IC you react to national and international events and come up with treaties with other countries which are like joint orders with another country.