Is it possible for Dutch to gain Normandy and all of Flanders including French Flanders, the POD is during the Dutch rebellion.
Is it possible for Dutch to gain Normandy and all of Flanders including French Flanders, the POD is during the Dutch rebellion.
Could the Netherlands got more theritory during the Dutch revolt. Yes, it could. Could the Netherlands got all of the southern Netherlands? No. I have my doubts about that. Spain was still a formidable enemy and most of the Walloon provinces never supported the Dutch revolt. Still I consider it possible, at least in theory, for the Netherlands to try to gain all of the former Spanish Netherlands. You do need a very different Netherlands after the Dutch revolt, as OTL the Dutch didn't even realy care about Flanders.
If you have a POD with the southerns not betraying a United Netherlands would very well be possible.
This is of course true. If the Dutch manage to keep Flanders and Brabant during the early stages of the revolt, they will be as protestant as the northern provinces.And remember in this age Flanders was the area with the most Calvinist people, only later (157/80's) they became a majority in the north. Religion was, and still is very fragmented and spread in the Netherlands.
Boulogne is also a possibility.the gaining of french and belgian flanders would be easily done, just like wallonia. the difficult part is normandy.
Maybe an alliance if Normandy became a major Huguenot stronghold?The hard part is Normandy. I simply don't see the Netherlands in any form to care about Normandy. It is...well...too French.
That might work. Well it at least means that the revolt is probably more succesful in the early stages. I don't think it would the knockout blow for the Spanish though, but it might be significant enough that it will be possible to kick out the Spanish troops during the war.
This is of course true. If the Dutch manage to keep Flanders and Brabant during the early stages of the revolt, they will be as protestant as the northern provinces.
I thought most Hugenots lived in the south of France instead of normandy? Still it doesn't seem like a good way for Normandy to become part of the Netherlands. It seems more like a way for the Netherlands to get absorbed into France.It is. Better support from the French Hugenots could work. How about the calvinist Duke of Anjou accepting the Dutch throne? Instead of denying it OTL. He could have money and troops from Hugenot nobles all across France to liberate the Netherlands. If you combine it with the relative tolerance and decentralisation of a united Netherlands they could survive, with each province having its own laws and rules, language, and also religion (The Dutch were very keen on this, and if the king tries the centralise the state i think they would just kick him out, just like the Spanish, and replace him with one who would respect the states' rights). Then with a French king it would make no sense for the Walloons to suddenly quit the union.
I think Eu, a part of Normandy, Boulogne, Calais and Artois could be a part of the Netherlands the question is how..I thought most Hugenots lived in the south of France instead of normandy? Still it doesn't seem like a good way for Normandy to become part of the Netherlands. It seems more like a way for the Netherlands to get absorbed into France.
Well, Artois was part of the Netherlands, but never part of the revolt.I think Eu, a part of Normandy, Boulogne, Calais and Artois could be a part of the Netherlands the question is how..
Perhaps if Margaret of Austria married Charles VIII that is possible....Well, Artois was part of the Netherlands, but never part of the revolt.
I don't think the Dutch revolt can be so succesful all of the Netherlands ends up part of it. I can certainly see it being more succesful than OTL and capture more of Flanders or Brabant, but Artois? Doubtful. And to continue expanding south; into catholic and pro spanish territory after the war? Possible, but unlikely. Expanding into France, up to Normany? Even more unlikely. You need a France that totaly collapsed for that to happen. I don't consider it impossible, but for it to happen you need to various unlikely steps to happen.
I think you need an earlier POD , when Burgundy still controlled Picardy. That would make it a lot more likely.
Why do you want a Normany-Dutch union anyway?
I thought most Hugenots lived in the south of France instead of normandy? Still it doesn't seem like a good way for Normandy to become part of the Netherlands. It seems more like a way for the Netherlands to get absorbed into France.