Borders Can't Bind Nations

European kings really thought they could hit the undo button on history just by slicing up a

map. After Napoleon wrecked the continent, the Congress of Vienna tried to

force everyone back to the old ways to protect their own power. They treated countries

like puzzle pieces, literally gluing Belgium and the Netherlands together just to create a

buffer zone against France. It was doomed from the start. King William I tried

to act like a strict dad, but the vibe was off. The Belgians actually

got so fired up during an opera performance that they started a revolution and broke away.

It just proves that you can draw all the borders you want, but you can’t force