How "Dutch" does the Netherlands have to be? A rump Burgundy focused around the Pays Bas gives 150+ more years of possible expansion.
- Charles the Bold dies in 1477
- (POD) His daughter, Mary the Bold marries a local nobleman from the low countries. Together, they manage to rally the low countries against the French attempts to reconquer Flanders. They still lose French Burgundy.
- During the French-Burgundian war of 1478-1490, the Flemish cities, already in decline but still rich, throw their fate in with Mary, backing her with their riches. The proto-professional army of Charles the bold gets further developed into the first standing army. Included in their deal is a few command posts reserved for Burghers (to lower the chances of Mary using the army to force the cities into submission. This would later lead to a very meritocratic officer corps. A permanent garrison is placed in the cities along the Somme
- The Flemish cities remain influential and use this influence to push for transparent exchequer chambers (per 'province' and on the Burgundian state level)
- Bruges, in decline since the slibbing of the zwin, makes an appeal to Mary to fund a new channel for them. Mary manages to charm all her subjects for a 1% permanent tax to fund the new sea-channel and other possible infrastructure works. While rather low, it is the first permanent tax in the Burgundian state and would lead to a long term strengthening of the state.
- When 1500 rolls around, Burgundy now consists of the Burgundian Low Countries, with the basics of a standing army, a functional tax system and a loved Duchess.
- The Brussels-Louvain-Antwerp-Malines region becomes the heart of the state, being the centres of court-education-trade-judicairy respectively.
- Mary dies around 1510, leaving behind a handsome son called Philips. A jovial man, unlike his grandfather, he likes to party like his ancestors but dislikes the French. Medieval Dutch becomes the language of the court, slowly trickling down into the other state apparatuses.
- Years of prosperity lead to a extravagant court culture, which require lots of luxury products which the Antwerp merchants provide. Antwerp grows to become the largest trading city on the north sea and one of the bigger cities north of the alps.
- Another French-Burgundian war leads to a minor Burgundian victory, with only a few border villages being exchanged. More importantly, the French crown renounces all claims to the Burgundian patrimony. In return, the Burgundian dynasty renounces all claims to the french throne.
- The French court remains in the Loire valley, as Francois finds Paris too exposed to the Burgundian forces along the Somme. Orleans becomes the permanent seat of the Kings of France instead.
-Around 1530, Charles II (OTL Charles V) becomes the Duke of the Low Countries. Unlike OTL where he had to struggle to keep his conglomerate state together, he inherits a stable and strong state, the richest in Europe at the time.
- He expands Burgundian influence in the Rhine region, managing to put bastard brothers, children and all kinds of Burgundian Cadets on the Bishops' thrones in the Rhineland and Westphalia. A military expedition against the Frisians means the end of their free existence and the creation of the County of Frisia. The Low Countries reach from the Somme in the West to Munster in the east and from Frisia in the north to the Meuse in the south.
Getting more and more pushback from the Imperial Princes, Charles II decides to focus on overseas expansion. The traders and merchants of the Flemish cities, the growing Holland cities and Antwerp gladly support him in these endeavors. Antwerp is expanded, receiving two docks for the foreign trade. A bridge is built over the Scheldt, and wharves are established on the left bank of the Scheldt. Market buildings and banks are built, and the future of Antwerp is crowned with a massive new Bourse. The future seems bright.
And yet, problems are brewing. Internally, Protestantism grows. Differences between the counties grow. Externally there are also problems. The Iberian kings see the Low Countries as a dangerous competitor. The French king sees it as a threat. The princes of the Empire and the Emperor are also fearful of the powerhouse in the northwest. Multiple conflicts break out, one after the other. They sap the strength of Charles slowly but surely. But Charles manages to lead the low countries to victory. In the 1550ies, with the last rivals stalemated, he decides to abdicate in favor of his son, Philips the 4th(?).
Philips the 4th inherits a tired state. Taxes weigh heavily and the regions that feed the center have suffered under decades of constant warfare. Protestant and particularist revolts have wrecked havoc throughout all his domains. Philips decides to grant a measure of autonomy to keep the peace while slowly reorganizing the administrative structure to break the old powers of the particularists. A high court is formed in Malines, and a central tax administration in Brussels. A new college is built in Louvain to train new administrators without lots of bonds to the locals. Second sons of nobility in the Picardy region gets sent north to Frisia after finishing their training. Frisians get sent to Luxembourg etc etc. Law is codified and generalized. While people are still relatively unequal, there are less differences. Noblemen get judged as noblemen, no matter if they are from Artois or from Holland.
Meanwhile, Dutch traders sail the seven seas in search for riches. Their ships evolve into faster and steadier designs, while companies are formed under the new laws made by Philips fund these voyages. Trading posts dot the coasts of America, Africa and India. Towards the end of his life, P IV plans to humiliate the Iberian kings at sea and have his nation become the pre-eminent sea power. He dies before he can execute his master plan, and the grand design gets shelved. His successor is a lesser man, but still manages to rule decently until his death in 1616, leaving the low countries in the hands of Karel van Boergondieën (Charles III of Burgundy), only 16 years old at the time.
Then, Charles III, the boldest, is crowned Duke of the Low Countries. Heir to a reformed, prospering and strong nation, he would be the Alexander of the 17th century. His hot-headed interference with the frontier regions, the banding together of the kingdom of Orleans and the princes of the HRE, would lead to one of the most destructive conflicts of the 17th century: the 40 years war. The details are too much to describe but the end result is that the Low Countries achieve a dominant position in the northwest of Europe. Spanning from the Seine-Marne line to Bremen, Charles III had crushed both the french king and his spanish and imperial allies (with the help of various allies himself, most notably, the Swedes, the Poles and the Austrians, who almost partitioned the HRE in spheres of influence. Overseas, the spanish, portuguese and french colonial empires lie in ruin. Their fleets battered in battles with the Burgundians, the English preying on isolated ships and trade posts and local revolts, they have no choice but to distance themselves from a lot of their colonies, mostly in Africa and India. Charles III manages to get the Asiento, and a monopoly on almost all trade past the cape of good hope.
Wow this was a long stream of conscious type of thing but at this point the Netherlands (if you even can call it this ) is the pre-eminent european power, with a burgeoning colonial empire. The english are only a small fish in the colonial game but they have also made quite the gains in the 40 years war.
