Germanization of Western Roman Empire?

When the Western Roman Empire would have survived, would it then be Germanized? So similar to the Hellenization of the Eastern Roman Empire.
 
It might be a too simplistic assessment, by I guess it depends on what kind of "Western Roman Empire" we're talking here, and how "inside" the Germanic tribes are.

For example, if our PoD for the WRE survival avoids the Battle of Adrianople and the subsequent Gothic invasion, and the west part remains intact, I imagine the Germanic influence won't be too pervasive. It will probably the the Germanic peoples being more influenced by Rome than otherwise.

If we're talking about a very late phase survival (with the Visigoths, Vandals, Suebi and Burgundians) already inside the Empire, then there might be some cultural remnants from this invasion, it those peoples are actually assimilated back into the Roman administration. I doubt it could reach the extent of the "Byzantine" Empire's Hellenization, this scenario was very different.
 

GdwnsnHo

Banned
I think Rdf has it right here.

For maximum Germanification, you're looking at a Majorian Wins scenario. You have Visigoths, Burgundians, Franks, Vandals, Suebi, Ostrogoths, all within the Empire. You can even add in the Saxons if you're considering Britannia.

I have an image of a WRE where laws and civilian life are largely Latin - the ruling class talks amoungst itself in Greek, but the military hierarchy largely uses Latin and some Germanic, whilst the common soldiery uses both Latin and German in large amounts.

At least for a few generations until a Germano-Latin emerges, presumably in Gaul, and slowly spreading from there. At this point, there are too many Germanics in the Empire to assimilate using traditional means, so the Romans will have to adapt.

I imagine that Historians would call this the "Gothic" or "Germanic" Empire, much in the same way as the East was called the Byzantine IOTL.
 
I think Rdf has it right here.

For maximum Germanification, you're looking at a Majorian Wins scenario. You have Visigoths, Burgundians, Franks, Vandals, Suebi, Ostrogoths, all within the Empire. You can even add in the Saxons if you're considering Britannia.

I have an image of a WRE where laws and civilian life are largely Latin - the ruling class talks amoungst itself in Greek, but the military hierarchy largely uses Latin and some Germanic, whilst the common soldiery uses both Latin and German in large amounts.

At least for a few generations until a Germano-Latin emerges, presumably in Gaul, and slowly spreading from there. At this point, there are too many Germanics in the Empire to assimilate using traditional means, so the Romans will have to adapt.

I imagine that Historians would call this the "Gothic" or "Germanic" Empire, much in the same way as the East was called the Byzantine IOTL.

When I wrote the previous post I was thinking exactly about a PoD with a victorious Majorian that manages to submit the Germanic peoples into some sort of clienthood: the WRE still exists, but there are "foreign" groups gradually being assimilated inside it.

I agree entirely with your points. In fact, while I don't believe the Empire could have survived without at least retaking Africa from the Vandals... this posits a very interesting scenario.
 
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