Kindly excuse me if this is ASB, or my logic/scenario is off; I openly admit I have very little knowledge of this subject, which is why I request your assistance in critiquing and advising!
I’ve become quite interested in the Normans in the last few months. After researching them, I’ve been wondering about possible further Norman expansion. Below is a rough outline of what I’ve come up with, minus some specifics incase this outline becomes something more in future…
Basically a Norman people intent on fighting European wars in order to achieve glory for themselves, and forging many dynastic Norman kingdoms in the process, similar to OTL but with a couple of differences, among others: Speeding up the process of Norman conquest in Italy by making it more planned, effective, and organized , then having a Norman entry into Spain.
I would start by having the Salerno tradition of Norman entry into the peninsula happen as it did IOTL (if this is the likely/commonly agreed upon entry of Normans into Italy). Guaimar’s pleading of the Normans to stay is met with agreement, and emissaries are sent to Normandy to recruit more willing fighters, which is also a met with success. With these developments, victory is achieved at either the first Lombard uprising by Melus with Norman assistance against Byzantine rule in southern Italy (as the Byzantines were not expecting the overwhelming extra punch given by the Normans), or the second, again led by Melus, which seems more likely. From here the Normans can realize their might and continue fighting, ultimately conquering Capua, Benevento, and Naples, eventually leading to the title Duke of Calabria and Apulia far quicker than IOTL.
The fortunes of the Normans can continue to spill over in the Byzantine campaign on Muslim Sicily, where instead of just 300 Normans sent by Guiscard to aid in the fighting, contingents of them can be sent into battle by the rulers of the Norman ‘Kingdom (?)’ in southern Italy. Saracen loot is distributed favoring the Normans thanks to their large numbers and political clout on the island, only heightening tensions between the Normans and Byzantines. With quarrels between the two in Italy over Bari at some point forcing the Byzantines to withdraw from their Sicilian campaign, the Normans can capitalize on the weakness of the Arabs and capture Sicilia bella for themselves.
Eventually the powerful, well-governed Normans unite the Mezzogiorno and Sicily, becoming the rulers of Southern Italy.
From here, the ongoing conflict in Spain between Christians and Muslims provides the perfect opportunity for the Normans to expand their power. Norman Mercenaries are contracted to fight the Christian war against the Muslims in southern Iberia, eventually resulting in Normans taking areas like Lisbon, Barcelona, Valencia, and other coastal areas.
From this point Norman presence in Iberia, Italy, France, and England grows, culminating in a different history, as per the site’s norm.
Just in passing: I’m not looking to see a Byzanto-Norman empire, but instead something more purely Norman. Also, as an adherent to the Great Man Theory, I'd be curious if this can be centralized under the command of one person.
So?