France annexes Belgium in 1748

What if at the Treaty of Aix-la-chapelle of 1748, France who did occupy the whole of the Austrian Netherlands, decides or the king decides to annex them? Since the middle ages this was one of the richest regions in Europe and it was a long term policy of France to annex it. King Louis XV, out of misplaced pride, decided to not annex and say that "he is a king, not a merchant". What if he was less of a retard and got better advice and listened to it? How would French and European history evolve from this decision of enlarging France?
 
Well it would be a lot richer, and since the Austrian Netherlands has a lot of coal, it'll be easier for France to industrialized quicker and finally with the area being french speaking territory I expect to be easily integrated into fragrance.
 
I wonder if a longer border with Prussia and the German states would be an advantage or a handicap during Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871. A least they could recrute a significantly larger number of soldiers.
 
How exactly? France was against German unification and would have intervened to protect the Southern German states against Prussia. They were afraid of a united and powerful Germany.
The French Revolution, and events leading to it, are poised to be rather different here, which changes if not prevents the Congress of Vienna. Remember, you haven't even had the Seven Years' War yet.
 
How big would France get in the long term, realistically speaking? A map would be nice. I think it is also very likely that they would remain the dominant continental power into the 20th century.
 
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How big would France get in the long term, realistically speaking? A map would be nice. I think it is also very likely that they would remain the dominant continental power into the 20th century.
Hard to tell. France acquiring these areas will make enemies in the near term at least.
 
As for a map, there's this one from another thread here on this topic:
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The map only shows the first annexation, but I doubt France would stop there. They would also annex and keep at least parts of the Prince Bishopric of Liege.
 
Because it annexed several territories, including some enclaves, during the revolutionary and Napoleonic wars and was allowed to keep some of them.
 
Before a Revolution-type event, the french King will keep the prince-bishop in place, even as a pure legal fiction. This is how they did with various ecclesiastical states bordering France (Metz, Lyon). After a few decades, nobody will make a difference between the french kingdom and the prince-bishopric, but no brutal annexation of Church land, always a bad point for a catholic ruler.

On the larger scale of things, once annexed, only a short-term war could tear these territories from the french kingdom. A British-Austrian v. Spanish-French war is likely, but what will Prussia do ?
 
Because it annexed several territories, including some enclaves, during the revolutionary and Napoleonic wars and was allowed to keep some of them.

Exactly during the Revolutionary Republic Regime and during Boney they annexed. But 1748 ain't like that.

If France tried to do that they would just managed to join all of europe, which was basically what happened in 1792, 1798, 1805, 1806, 1808, 1809, 1813 and 1815, against them.

In the 18th century most wars were about limited objectives. Ensuring more defensive borders, limited continental expansion and colonial gain, basically ensure a balance of power between all the powers. The only one that tried to do otherwise got his dreams smashed in Poltava.
 
Exactly during the Revolutionary Republic Regime and during Boney they annexed. But 1748 ain't like that.

If France tried to do that they would just managed to join all of europe, which was basically what happened in 1792, 1798, 1805, 1806, 1808, 1809, 1813 and 1815, against them.

In the 18th century most wars were about limited objectives. Ensuring more defensive borders, limited continental expansion and colonial gain, basically ensure a balance of power between all the powers. The only one that tried to do otherwise got his dreams smashed in Poltava.
France got Alsace and Lorraine at different times and both were big and rich provinces, but no coalition formed against them, to get them out of those lands.
 
France got Alsace and Lorraine at different times and both were big and rich provinces, but no coalition formed against them, to get them out of those lands.
the austrian netherlands is another case, because it was generally assumed it wouldn't stop there, after that german states and the united provinces would follow.
france gaining the austrian netherlands would seriously disturb the balance of power in europe, something everyone was wary of.
 
the austrian netherlands is another case, because it was generally assumed it wouldn't stop there, after that german states and the united provinces would follow.
france gaining the austrian netherlands would seriously disturb the balance of power in europe, something everyone was wary of.
True. OTL the Dutch republic stayed out of the 7 year war. With France in the Southern Netherlands, it is a direct thread to the Netherlands. They could easily join on the Prussian/British side. The same is true for every one who had territory on the west side of the Rhine.
 
the austrian netherlands is another case, because it was generally assumed it wouldn't stop there, after that german states and the united provinces would follow.
france gaining the austrian netherlands would seriously disturb the balance of power in europe, something everyone was wary of.
France could have easily defend those lands from the British, the only ones who would want and could attack France.
 
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