Britain without coal

[Conradus]

Given that Belgium was the second power to industrialize, do you think they would have been able to get a serious head start on Germany or France? Or maybe even try to prevent Germany from forming?

Not very likely, and I say this as a Belgian.

Our first two Kings were quite belligerent, but the government was never ready to follow their ideas. Leopold II then went on a spree in the Congo, without any real backing from Belgium.

So we would've industrialized and perhaps become the most industrialized nation of Europe for a while, but we'd be no threat to any other nations. Appeasement was a large part of our international politics. (Our Kings were attached to both the English, German and French monarchies).

In any case, militarily we'd never be a match for France or Germany or even Prussia for that matter.

[Brandy Blue]

Well, geography isn't exactly your friend when it comes to European confrontations. As I understand it, Belgium is right between two large powers , with no English channel or even serious terrain obstacles to keep out enemies.

[El Barto]

And unlike the Nederlanders to the north, they don't have weather awful enough to make their country uninteresting.

[Conradus]

And unlike the Nederlanders to the north, they don't have weather awful enough to make their country uninteresting.

Obviously you haven't been to Belgium :D

The weather makes our country uninteresting, but it's no impediment for an invasion unfortunately :D

With regards to European confrontations: whoever wins, Belgium loses (and it was like that for the better part of a 1,000 years in Western European warfare.

[Myth]

Belgium and the Netherlands should have stayed as parts of the Holy Roman Empire. In fact, we need a new HRE today IMO.

[Conradus]

The part of Belgium I'm from was never a part of the HRE.