I think it's more pragmatic than that.
I believe the proximity to Nazi Germany may have been a big part of the reason. I'm sure it would have been to the advantage of those smaller countries to be perceived as an ally of Germany rather than neutral.
"A lot" is a common English phrase which means "quite a bit", "a substantial amount", "a significant statement". Don't feel bad - it's one of those things that's much easier for those with English as their first language. When one is not born into it, English can have some subtleties which are not obvious and sometimes even escape native speakers until well into adolescence. :-)