Download or read book Small Countries in a Big Power World: The Belgian-Dutch Conflict at Versailles, 1919 written by H.P. van Tuyll and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2016-11-21 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When a devastated Belgium emerged from World War I, some of its leaders had high hopes that the upcoming negotiations would enable achievement of a long-cherished goal; annexing parts of the Netherlands lost in the final 1839 settlement which had established the country. Belgium’s strong historical and military arguments were bolstered by its courageous Great War image. Yet the Dutch proved ready and able to launch an energetic counterattack which ultimately stymied the Belgian campaign. This book explains why and how this happened, and demonstrates that small states are active participants in their own destinies, not just spectators or victims.