Belgian independence limited the power a continental state could bring against Britain. Belgium's position, tidal ranges, and currents affected the practical possibility of invading the United Kingdom. That strategic concern explains why Britain had supported a treaty protecting Belgian neutrality. Britain might have accepted Russian defeat or a French defeat that left France a great power with its empire intact. German use of Belgian territory or the Channel crossed a different threshold.
Notable Point · 6:07-7:47
Why Belgian geography mattered to British security
Belgium's position, tides, and currents made its independence a practical British security concern.