AHC:Brussels as French Capital

Is it possible for France to have Brussels or Bruxelles as capital instead of Paris?

Almost everything is possible with a proper POD and a little handwavium, but this is a though one. However, with a POD as early as the first Frankish empire, it would be doable. But I doubt that the country in question would resemble OTL France that much.
 
I don't know. Suppose Henry V conquers most of France, but his son proves to be as incompetent as OTL Henry VI? Maybe the Burgundian Valois remember they have a claim to the throne too, and rule France from Brussels.
 
I don't know. Suppose Henry V conquers most of France, but his son proves to be as incompetent as OTL Henry VI? Maybe the Burgundian Valois remember they have a claim to the throne too, and rule France from Brussels.

Possible, but I find it unlikely. If the Dukes of Burgundy end up as Kings of France, seems like they'd simply move back to Paris. Paris seems so entrenched as the center and heart of France it seems unlikely that any other city would serve as the capital without an earlier POD. Even when Louis XIV moved his court to Versailles, Paris was still formally the capital.
 
Is it possible for France to have Brussels or Bruxelles as capital instead of Paris?

You need a POD before the year 987 and the crowning of Hughes Capet as Rex Francorum (the King of Franks).

But,

Brussels was officialy found around 979. So you need a second POD to establish Brussels as a major town around 950-1000.

In 979-987, Paris existed already as a major city in northern France from a thousand years.
 
very tough one, after all Brussels originally was in the dutch language area, only recently it is being conquered by french speakers. It still is a bi-lingual city.

Add to that the fact that Lutetia/Paris has been around so much longer (the area around it was called ile de france very early already).

So i would say to make this happen borders on ASB
 
Brussels wasn't a very important town during the Lotharingian Era (later dukes of Lothier & Brabant did claim to be the rightful heirs of Lotharingia) and it was the good relation between their lord, the duke of Lothier & Brabant and count of Leuven/Louvain & Brussels, and the town Brussels, which led to stimulation of the development of Brussels.

So even with West Francia more focused on Lotharingia, it will be uncertain if Brussels will be the capital; maybe Aachen/Aix-La-Chapelle/Aken will be the capital, after all that was the town of Charlemagne.
 
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