How could the Kingdom of the Vandals survive?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_the_Vandals_and_Alans

Firstly, looking at the 'The turbulent end' section of the above-linked article, I'd have to say that Hoamer winning against the Moors, or the Arian faction being weaker, would certainly have lengthened the kingdom's lifetime.

Still that doesn't insure survival against the Arabs, Seljuks, and others, does it?

So, how could the Kindom of the Vandals survive to the present day, without the help of any ASBs, while retaining some version of Arian Chrisianity as its majority religion?

What is the latest PoD that could allow this, and what are the consequences?
 

Philip

Donor
Firstly, looking at the 'The turbulent end' section of the above-linked article, I'd have to say that Hoamer winning against the Moors, or the Arian faction being weaker, would certainly have lengthened the kingdom's lifetime.

'Certainly' is a rather strong word, especially since Vandal power was already waning.

Still that doesn't insure survival against the Arabs, Seljuks, and others, does it?

No. Of course, there is no guarantee that any of them will come calling either.

So, how could the Kindom of the Vandals survive to the present day, without the help of any ASBs, while retaining some version of Arian Chrisianity as its majority religion?

It is important to remember that while the Vandals were Arian, the vast majority of the subjects were Nicene Christians. This does not make for a stable kingdom. Look at the situation in Spain -- the Arian elite eventual converted.
 
The first thing you would have to change is the population of North Africa so that Arian Christianity was the majority religion to start with. The Vandals, like nearly all the other Germanic tribes (save the Franks) were Arian, while the population they ruled was Nicean Orthodox.

So the Arians (like all the other Germanics save the Franks) maintained separate legal and religious systems, one for the Romans, one for the Germanics. That will have to be adapted in order for the Vandals to survive.

I would say the only way you might be able to save this whole thing is if the Nicean faction was able to win out, and the Vandal King swears allegiance to the Byzantine Emperor (someone who is not as focused as Justinian on reviving the Roman Empire in the West) and rules North Africa as his hereditary governor. That would mean the Vandal King remains the "King of the Vandals and Alans" and also holds some kind of Roman title- "Viceroy of Africa and Mauritania" or somesuch.

The above arrangement was what first Odacer and then Theodoric had with the Byzantine Emperor when they ruled in Italy. I think that had Justinian not come along to mess things up with the Vandalic and then Gothic Wars the western territories would have eventually peaceably come back into the Empire- just with a Romanized Germanic ruling class who continued to hold both tribal and Roman positions of authority.

With the invasions of the Avars and then later Arabs and Bulgars I think the western territories would have been useful as supplies of military manpower- the Ostrogoths in Italy would have had a direct interest in fighting the Avars in order to maintain their territory in Pannonia. The West doesn't really come under pressure from outside invaders until the Arabs emerge invade from Egypt, followed by the Norse (who might not even emerge, since the Frankish wars in Saxony might be butterflied away). Also, once you have another round of empire-wide civil wars the Germanic West is going to be a potentially important ally- able to provide an already organized base from which to launch a bid for the Purple.
 
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