War strengthened Belgium's shared national identity

Belgium's coast mattered to British security because a hostile power could use it as a base against Britain. John Bull argues that the experience of World War I also strengthened a Belgian identity across internal divisions. In his account, postwar discussion of redrawing European boundaries raised the possibility of further Belgian fragmentation. He connects its rejection with the sense of belonging formed during the war, while Alex adds that doubts about lasting European peace gave continued unity a practical rationale.