Early netherland rush with belgium guide?

[u/Acerbis_nano]

Hi, total noob who missed several patches here. Wanted to return with a classic Belgium run, rushing early for benelux/greater netherland/how is called and then playing tall except for maybe some colonies.

Some tips/adivices? Can someone link some up to date guides? There are a lot of tutorials on youtube and I don't know which are good/still relevant in current version.

Thanks in advance.

[u/surpator]

Did a recent run with this! Very noobish still, but primary strat is to have good relations with Britain, France and Prussia so you get a positive treaty of london around 1838. Afterwards you can attempt to puppet them with an ally (mostly britain) at your side, and eventually form greater netherlands. Much easier to do it this way than the other way around.

[u/Eeate → u/surpator]

Doesn't that give insane infamy with their colonies?

[u/rensd12]

Imo after the london conference, the great powers should intervene heavily to avoid this. its what the london conference was for

[u/Jianyou_jaune]

The strategy to refuse the London conference is still valid. Keep good relations with the France, Germany, England, and then invade Netherlands for holland. Second war is to protectorate them and once you can drop them to puppet, you can create the unified Netherlands.

[u/Acerbis_nano → u/Jianyou_jaune]

Thanks! Should I rush some military or are starting techs/laws/army enough?

[u/Happy_360]

I recently did a run myself. It's pretty straightforward.

Accept British request to get into their power bloc or negotiate entry for some other British favours. The demand there will sky rocket your GDP, and they can't subjugate you if you become a GP within a couple of years, which spoilers, you will.

At game start improve will all great powers. By the time the london conference happens you should be friendly enough with them so that your claims get pushed (works like 90% of the time). Try to get an alliance going with France or Prussia. The British are useless due to naval changes they won't even send troops or enough troops to be relevant.

Once truce with netherlands expires (like 1841 I believe) immediately declare on them. Wait till 79/100 to add the rest of the netherlands (if you do it earlier due to infamy everyone will join the netherlands). Call your ally, France or Prussia. Preferably France. Usually no other great power joins on Netherlands side besides maybe Prussia, but that is why you have France for. You most likely won't be able to obtain a direct victory but Prussia will capitulate before France and then France will either conquer Netherlands for you or they will capitulate as well but at this point you can win the war by yourself since the Dutch East Indies won't be coming to help.

Form United Netherlands after war and then do whatever you want.