Calais region part of Belgium?

[PMN1]

Not really sure where this goes.

What changes could you see if most of the Calais region down to as far as Berck had ended up as part of Belgium rather than France?

 

[walmart]

Wasn't this a central powers plan ?

 

[Captain Seafort]

It would probably neeed a pre-1900 POD, but England/Great Britain/the UK would either be ecstatic or livid, depending on who controlled "Belgium" (or Spanish/Austrian/insert-power-of-the-century-here Netherlands), probably the former because it pushes the French border south of the Straits of Dover.

 

[JackLumber]

The best way to get this post 1900s is a CP victory in WW1.
The Germans wanted it for a puppet Belgium so they could simultaneously weaken France and threaten Britian.

 

[PMN1]

I put it in post 1900 but I am thinking it is Belgium territory before 1900.

 

[AltoRegnant]

It would probably neeed a pre-1900 POD, but England/Great Britain/the UK would either be ecstatic or livid, depending on who controlled "Belgium" (or Spanish/Austrian/insert-power-of-the-century-here Netherlands), probably the former because it pushes the French border south of the Straits of Dover.

Unless it's germany compensating their speed bump for the trouble in a cp win scenario, which to be honest seem the most likely by a long shot

 

[yulzari1]

Some of the area was Flemish a long time ago so a pre 1900 POD would be needed to eliminate increasing French influence. Mind you Calais itself may be British still by now. Perhaps on the Gibraltar model……….. Still a pre 1900 POD though.

 

[NOMISYRRUC]

Is this a plausible/feasible pre-1900 POD?

Calais & the territory the Spanish/Austrian Netherlands lost to France between Louis XIV & the French Revolution becomes part of the Kingdom of the United Netherlands in 1815. The reason for this is that the victorious powers think that France returned to its 1789 borders is too powerful and needs to be weakened and the Netherlands needs to be stronger. In 1831 these territories become part of "Greater Belgium" which may or may not include the whole of Luxembourg.

I agree that the most plausible post-1900 POD is that the Central Powers win World War One and Belgium is awarded the Nord & Pas de Calais Departments as compensation for the German invasion & occupation and to weaken France.

A Bit of Fun. Don't take it seriously.

AIUI these territories included most of France's coal & iron ore and were where all of France's iron & steel industry was located. If that's correct...

• "Greater Belgium" would be Europe's third largest steel producer in 1913 behind Great Britain & Germany and if it included the "Rump of Luxembourg" as well would be slightly ahead of Great Britain which would have made it Europe's second largest steel producer.
• "Greater Belgium" including the "Rump of Luxembourg" would still be Europe's second largest steel producer in 1929 behind Germany (including the Saar).
• It would have been Europe's fourth largest steel producer in 1938, but that's in part because "Greater Belgium's" production in that year was only 60% of what it had been in 1929 while Germany (including the Saar but not Austria), Great Britain and the Soviet Union were all producing more steel in 1938 than 1929.

Please note that I know that the industrial development of "Greater Belgium" would not have been the same as its components. I also know that France would still have had an iron & steel industry which would have been located in another part of France. That's why this is a bit of fun.

 

[PMN1]

Would a Belgium government at the time of the Channel Tunnel discussions be as enthusiastic about a fixed Channel crossing as the French government of the time was?