Let's say the SN go to a Bourbon prince to become a French puppet state some time in the mid 1700s. This means all the barrier fortresses can be easily walked around by the French army in the build up before any war.
Does this mean the French can invade the Dutch Republic in a few weeks if there is a war between the two? What if the Dutch are allied to the Brits/Hannover? Can they then defend the place with enough of a troop balance, or is the geography just too disastrous?
If they are at France's mercy, what does this mean for Dutch foreign policy? Do they just become an appeasement state, desperate to keep the French on side at virtually all costs? Do they ignore French interference in Dutch politics?
Does this mean the French can invade the Dutch Republic in a few weeks if there is a war between the two? What if the Dutch are allied to the Brits/Hannover? Can they then defend the place with enough of a troop balance, or is the geography just too disastrous?
If they are at France's mercy, what does this mean for Dutch foreign policy? Do they just become an appeasement state, desperate to keep the French on side at virtually all costs? Do they ignore French interference in Dutch politics?