Was the neutrality of Belgium a blessing or a curse for the allied troops at the begi

[VDKMS]

Was the neutrality of Belgium a blessing or a curse for the allied troops at the beginning of WWII?

On July 20 1936 the Belgian government declared Belgium a neutral nation. Up until september 1939 Belgium refused any military cooperation with Britain and France. On 4 september 1939, one day after Britain and France declared war to Germany, Belgium mobilized its forces. In november 1939 Belgium asked the French for assistance in case the country would be attacked by Germany. On 10 januari 1940 the Belgians got hold of the German invasion plans and on 10 May 1940 the Germans invaded.

If Belgium wouldn't have become a neutral country the British and French could have send forces into Belgium in 1939 waiting to counter the German invasion.

On the other hand the defeat could have been far worse and maybe missing a Dunkirk escape.

What do you think?

 

[MontyB]

I think that Belgian neutrality was a non-event.

My understanding is that the German assault was always going to go through the weakest point in the allied defenses and separate the French an British forces, the movement of the BEF into Belgium only weakened line and made the separation of the two armies easier.
Therefore whether the British were already in Belgium or not is somewhat irrelevant the out come was always going to be the same.

Essentially just the act sending the BEF into Belgium was what the Germans were hoping for it would not have mattered whether it was done in 1936 or 1940.