France's Borders Are Wrong

In the 1790s, French revolutionaries declared that nature had dictated the Republic's true borders: the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Atlantic, and the Rhine. Achieving this map meant erasing what is now Belgium, annexing the German Rhineland, and also locking down Europe's richest industrial zones. Napoleon actually succeeded in conquering this land and held the potential superstate in his grasp. Had he stopped there and fortified the natural frontiers, Prussia's rise could have potentially collapsed, the Industrial Revolution in Continental Europe could have centered on France rather than Germany, and the catastrophic world wars of the 20th century might never have occurred. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 The Hexagon 01:19 The Natural Borders Doctrine 02:05 Medieval France & Its Territorial Evolution 04:02 Revolutionary Expansion 05:52 Comparison with Irredentism 07:31 Napoleon's Overreach 09:19 Franco-Prussian War & The World Wars 10:25 What If France Kept It? 12:42 Modern Abandonment of the Idea Become a member on Patreon & get your name in the credits + exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/generalknowledge Stay up to date on more content from me: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@generalknowledge.pt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genknowledge/ Join the Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/f4neAVWZfF