Belgium

Why does this passive shithole exist? Why aren't we tearing it apart?

Had the kaiser won WW1 more than 50% of this abomination would have returned to the germanic bosom of the motherland, the rest of this abomination would have fallen apart very quickly since it's completely artifical

To weaken France.
Keep dreaming Hans.

The eternal anglo for both questions.

Lelgium sucks

Actually if I remember correctly the Germans planned to split Flanders and Wallonia rather than annexing anything.
Also, what's that meme called?

It's a buffer state for when Germany and France start shit again. It could be part of the Netherlands but they wouldn't be able to stay neutral if the Belgians get fucked.

>So this... This is the power of becoming a heptagon.

This offends my aesthetics.

hilariously flanders has NEVER been part of germany, the only parts germany has claim on are the wallonian ones (a very shaky claim at that)

conversely the only parts france has a claim to is flanders

Actually, Belgium has been torn apart since the 17th century by about 5 different countries/empires.

Only recently has Belgium NOT been torn apart. I get what you mean, however. All Benelux countries should have been subsumed into France/Germany respectively.

This has always had me cracking up.

Regardless that France has been the overseer for Flanders from 854 onwards, the region has never francised, and it's Wallonia, the former HRE vassal that has our culture.

it helped that flanders was filthy rich and for the most part fucking with the northerners was a bad idea for the french crown

>Benelux will never blanda up and become a world power
why even live

there was a chance, had the dutch king not been a complete and utter tool that is.

19th century would have been pretty interesting had the belgian economic might (this is not a joke mind you, look it up) been combined with the dutch trading prowess

Too many rebellions true.

not to mention just how buddy buddy the flemish counts were with england
and then the whole burgundy deal happened

Has had its merits though.

By enforcing its rule on Flanders, it bullied it into remaining catholic and now Flems are true and devout followers of Rome as they should be.

But I can see where you're getting at. Lots of trouble all for that tax money.

Having living in Flanders for a year or so, I have to say it's a pretty chill place. I like it

Do the Flemish really see themselves as a separate ethnicity from the Dutch?
Are they such balkaniggers/special snowflakes?

Never understood the meme of Britain creating Belgium to weaken France
France is literally the reason Belgium exists (they sent troops during the Belgian Revolution and it scared the Dutch enough to let the rebels secede).

Yes we do, the dutch speak with a very strange accent to the flemish ear.
We are culturaly very different as well.

'Ey.. Wallonia is cool ok.

Nah man it's you Flemish that have the accent.

This. Dutch efforts during the Ten Days Campaign was enough to drive back the proto-Belgians, but the intervention by the French on Belgian behalf meant that their 'revolution' was a foregone conclusion - Britain not wanting to upset the balance of Europe by fighting France, meant that the Netherlands was alone in their recapture of rebel occupied territory. As Russia and Prussia had to deal with the Polish uprisings at that time.

French plans were to cut Belgium (Catholic Netherlands) off from the main body, as to annex it later on, but British intervention put a foreign German (Saxon) Prince on the throne, which held no allegiance to France, instead of one of the older Belgian noble houses.

Also; """Belgium""" and the Netherlands had only been unified for like 24ish years and don't really share all that much except for a language (which the Phlegmish completely ruin desu) with its own unique culture and deserves to be its own - unified - country, unlike say half the nations on the globe.

>except for a language (which the Phlegmish completely ruin desu)

absolutely disgusting opinion.

the northerners are the one who sound like they're constantly choking on their own bile. flemish is softer and smoother.