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Turning the Dutch Republic into a superpower has been discussed before on AH.com, but the Republic's relatively low population, the devestation of the 80 years war, and other factors make it somewhat problematic. However, the Netherlands was one of the richest trading centers in Europe, and in an alternate world, where everything had gone right, the Dutch could, perhaps, have fulfilled their destiny...

Maximillian, second son of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, was born in Toledo, Spain, in 1541. His was a lonely childhood-his mother, Isabella of Portugal, died giving birth to him, and he grew up in Spain with only his nurses and tutors for guidance...

...As the 1550's began, Emperor Charles V began to think about who would inherit his massive domains. To his eldest son Phillip would go the most prestigious possessions, Spain and the Hapsburg's Italian possessions. Charles gave Austria to his younger brother Ferdinand, and his youngest boy Maximillian was given the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands. Growing old, Charles the V abdicated all his titles in 1555 and retired to a Spanish monestary. Shortly before, Maximillian had been summoned from Spain at the age of 14 to assume possession of his new realm. He toured his country, stopping in each province to be made Count of Artois, Flanders, Namur, Hainaut, Zeeland, the Franche-Comte, and Holland; Duke of Brabant, Guelders, Limburg, and Luxemburg, and Lord of Frisia, Groningen, the Ommelanden, Drenthe, Lingen, Wedde, Westerwold, and Overijssel. It was the first time Maximillian had been to his various lands, and though fluent in French he possessed only a mediocre command of Dutch. But for the first time, the Netherlands was united under its own ruler, and Maximillian's reign would be a pivitol time in its history.
-from A Guide to Notable European Monarchs, entry "Maximillian of the Netherlands"

So what do you guys think?

(Oh, and I'll try to update my Louisiana TL as well as this over my spring break next week. I've been somewhat busy with schoolwork)
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