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Inspired by reading a couple old "Dutch superpower" threads, what if Charles V put the Hapsburg Netherlands under its own ruler instead of giving it to Spain like OTL? First, how could this occur (would giving him another son work?) and secondly, what would the new state's history be like? I figure that, after it gets over the Catholic/Protestant civil wars (sure to occur in some form, IMO) it could turn into a rather large empire. If its rulers make some strategic marriages, and do well in the 30 years war (or whatever the ATL equivalent is) then it could get some more territory in the Rhineland and NW Germany, and thus be in a good position to form (and populate) a much larger colonial empire than the OTL Netherlands achieved. If it gets the Ruhr, it could even become a major industrial power.

What do you guys think?
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