Bigger belgian empire
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Delvestius
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Eh, I'ma be a naysayer. The only reason Belgium got the Congo is because The Congo was right smack dab in the middle of French Western Sahara, British Africa and the three German colonies. Since Belgium was already figured to be a neutral buffer state, it was decided that they should do the same with it in Africa. With an Earlier PoD we might be able to drum something up, but not this late in the game. Besides, it was King Leopold's personal property instead of a state colony, which means it was buying the Palace new Italian tile as opposed to raising an army or infrastructure or anything like that.
The Belgians *did* get another colony after the Congo - They got Ruanda-Urundi. Anyway, Leopold the I (father of the infamous Leopold II) was very adamant about overseas colonization but didn't have the means to do so - He looked pretty much everywhere, from Hawaii and the South Pacific to Guatemala to Brazil to Guinea and even to Texas. That would be too early for your POD, however.
The best I could see is *maybe* the Belgians taking interest in North Borneo, the lease for which was offered to the United States, Austria-Hungary, and Italy at one point. Why not Belgium as well? Belgium might also be able to grab some islands in the South Pacific, perhaps the Solomons, which I'm pretty sure the Belgians actually looked at if I remember correctly. Again, the main problem is going to be funding.
The best I could see is *maybe* the Belgians taking interest in North Borneo, the lease for which was offered to the United States, Austria-Hungary, and Italy at one point. Why not Belgium as well? Belgium might also be able to grab some islands in the South Pacific, perhaps the Solomons, which I'm pretty sure the Belgians actually looked at if I remember correctly. Again, the main problem is going to be funding.
No less and no more than other actors of the time. And he was smart enough to carve an interesting part of Africa as shown by the odd shape of actual RDC. Katanga was worst its weight in goods and the river Congo was viewed as a convenient (if not pratical) way of moving said goods to the coast.
Really not bad for a megalomaniac.
This was his father, actually. This scholarly paper discusses the whole Texas thing (along with Guatemala, Guinea, and Brazil, and including a list of dozens of other places the Belgians considered for a colony). It's very detailed and dry, however.
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wolf_brother
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Belgium holds on to Santo Tomás and eventually uses it as a forward naval base to take a few of the Pacific islands? Actually a Belgian colony or protectorate in Guatemala might certainly lead to a fulfillment of the Saxe-Coburg and Gothas claims on Hawaii.
I'd say their best chance is that they establish a colony in Guinea, which they tried to do in otl. That's the only real chance I see, other than that they may get some pacific islands. They could not poke around the americas, as the US would just annex any colony they would have in Guatemala
Pacific islands are definitely a possibility. Perhaps snag some coastal regions in New Zealand. Like this French chap tried to do! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanto-Bordelaise_Company
Definately could go for some region in West Africa, Perhaps Thailand? Borneo?
New Guinea? (
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Definately could go for some region in West Africa, Perhaps Thailand? Borneo?
New Guinea? (
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This thread is almost 10 years old and the OP has been gone for a year. They literally tell this is a necro when you try and comment on such an old thread so y’all should know better. @CalBear this needs to be locked.
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