Why did Great Britain and many others favor Belgian Independence?

[krieger11b]

Wouldn't the other Powers be quite upset with France annexing Belgium? It was only two decades since the Napoleonic Wars and I can imagine them being very wary of France expanding again.

Yes and if France owned Antwerp in Belgium it would be far more difficult to supply and gather an Army on the continent to stop France, especially given how quick the round trip from Southeast Brittian to Antwerp is. What is the next really good port at that time in Europe?

 

[Andrelvis]

Yes and if France owned Antwerp in Belgium it would be far more difficult to supply and gather an Army on the continent to stop France, especially given how quick the round trip from Southeast Brittian to Antwerp is. What is the next really good port at that time in Europe?

I imagine that Wallonia would be a more important acquisition, since it had the coal deposits which France sorely lacked. It would likely mean a France with significantly greater industrialization per capita numbers.

 

[Avernite]

Yes and if France owned Antwerp in Belgium it would be far more difficult to supply and gather an Army on the continent to stop France, especially given how quick the round trip from Southeast Brittian to Antwerp is. What is the next really good port at that time in Europe?

Rotterdam. A bit further from Britain, but an excellent port. Mostly useful for supplying an army along the Rhine rather than into Belgium, but if Belgium's French an anti-French army probably uses the Rhine for supplies anyway.

 

[Mathrim]

The July Monarchy was indeed worrying a few people in Britain, because it saw itself as the heir to both the Kingdom and the Empire, and was dominated by people like Soult.

 

[Rey]

It's indeed interesting that the other powers were so keen to support a bunch of liberals, radicals and Catholics against a traditional conservative Protestant monarch that got the land with the agreement of those same powers only some years before.

The same people who fought tooth and nail to bring down the ideas of the French Revolution, 15 years earlier and then again 18 years later, choose to turn their back on their Dutch ally? Why didn't they stood up to the French intentions, especially Prussia?

 

[Avernite]

It's indeed interesting that the other powers were so keen to support a bunch of liberals, radicals and Catholics against a traditional conservative Protestant monarch that got the land with the agreement of those same powers only some years before.

The same people who fought tooth and nail to bring down the ideas of the French Revolution, 15 years earlier and then again 18 years later, choose to turn their back on their Dutch ally? Why didn't they stood up to the French intentions, especially Prussia?

Well, Prussia was legitimately terrified of going it alone, I think. Given obvious French support for the Belgians, that makes some sense (Russia-Prussia together might have worked, or Britain-Prussia). Russia was busy dealing with a Polish rebellion right on the supply lines of any army moving to Belgium. Only Britain and Austria I never reallly 'got'.

 

[Rey]

Indeed, those Austrians allowed a French little victory while themselves got nothing out of it... Besides, it was a former Austrian land!

 

[User29]

Indeed, those Austrians allowed a French little victory while themselves got nothing out of it... Besides, it was a former Austrian land!

Maybe because it was a "Catholic" victory?

 

[Andrelvis]

Indeed, those Austrians allowed a French little victory while themselves got nothing out of it... Besides, it was a former Austrian land!

The Austrian government simply wanted stability in that region, I guess. Belgium did provide that, although at the expense of a major counter to both Prussian and French influence.

As for it being former Austrian land: the Austrian decision-makers had tried a number of times to exchange it for something adjacent to the empire's integral lands (such as Bavaria); it was a territory which would be easy for them to defend or manage. I doubt they were very interested in regaining it.

 

[Rey]

Ok, interesting.

 

[Cavalry]

The same people who fought tooth and nail to bring down the ideas of the French Revolution, 15 years earlier and then again 18 years later, choose to turn their back on their Dutch ally? Why didn't they stood up to the French intentions, especially Prussia?

The French Revolution was already accepted. It was Napoleon's ambitions and action outside the France that revoke new wars. And yes the European powers want to stop France, but they had problems of their own.

 

[Andrelvis]

The French Revolution was already accepted. It was Napoleon's ambitions and action outside the France that revoke new wars. And yes the European powers want to stop France, but they had problems of their own.

I wouldn't go as far as saying that the French Revolution was accepted. The three Eastern Monarchies (Austria, Prussia and Russia) were vehemently anti-revolutionary, anti-liberal and anti-jacobin.

 

[DarthJF]

The French Revolution was already accepted. It was Napoleon's ambitions and action outside the France that revoke new wars. And yes the European powers want to stop France, but they had problems of their own.

Napoleon's actions outside of France like defeating invading armies and then demanding concessions from them when they lost.

 

[Cavalry]

Well I mean the European powers can accept peace with Revolution France, but will not tolerate Napoleon I, he took without giving, was even not sastisfied without invasing Russia, but he's gone. So not much alarm on France. Even that the powers want to stop France on Belgium. But a free Belgium is all they can do against the France.

 

[User29]

Well I mean the European powers can accept peace with Revolution France, but will not tolerate Napoleon I, he took without giving, was even not sastisfied without invasing Russia, but he's gone. So not much alarm on France. Even that the powers want to stop France on Belgium. But a free Belgium is all they can do against the France.

So was all of Europe against the idea of intervening into rebel Belgium to re-integrate it?

The Most success with the Least Effort basically? and recognizing Belgium would put them on good terms?

 

[demanvanwezel]

The Austrian government simply wanted stability in that region, I guess. Belgium did provide that, although at the expense of a major counter to both Prussian and French influence.

As for it being former Austrian land: the Austrian decision-makers had tried a number of times to exchange it for something adjacent to the empire's integral lands (such as Bavaria); it was a territory which would be easy for them to defend or manage. I doubt they were very interested in regaining it.

if they were trying to get rid of it then why did they invade when belgium declared it's independence the first time?

 

[Andrelvis]

if they were trying to get rid of it then why did they invade when belgium declared it's independence the first time?

Because they wanted territorial compensation for ceding Belgium. A success of the Belgian Revolution wouldn't accomplish that.

 

[Jorlaan]

Because it has always been better to have your population more concerned about what is going on "over there" than what is going on at home.
The world has not changed since then.

 

[Chopain]

The people in Belgium were pissed off that they were underrepresented in Parliament. The king and the northern folk were directly affecting the prosperity of the nice French speaking southern folk. So the people in Belgium revolted.

The French developed a partition plan which involved Prussia to gobble up Belgium. The British didn't want Belgium to be ruled by France again so they recognized their independence. Thus France had to stay away or go to war with GB. So France decided that Belgium would be at least friendly with France so they accepted that going to war over a new province wouldn't be worth it. Then when the king of the Netherlands invaded Belgium French troops were there waiting for them proving that Belgium would make a good pro France buffer zone for them.

GB pretty much knew that The Netherlands was not able to take Belgium so they might as well make sure France would not too.

TL;DR: Heck if I know.