This brought the wealthy Low Countries (modern Belgium and the Netherlands) into the fold.
The Habsburg Empire was a cornerstone of European geopolitics for over 600 years, evolving from a modest Swiss lordship into a global superpower that "the sun never set upon" before its final dissolution after World War I. Its history is a complex tapestry of strategic marriages, religious upheaval, and the eventual collision with 20th-century nationalism. The Rise: "Let Others Wage War; You, Happy Austria, Marry" History of the Habsburg Empire: Rise and Declin...
While many empires grew through conquest, the Habsburgs famously expanded through strategic alliances and inheritance. This brought the wealthy Low Countries (modern Belgium