Visigoths, Arianism, and the Reconquista

The Visigothic King Reccared I converted from the Arian form of Christianity to Roman Catholicism. WI: The Visigothic Kingdom had remained Arian? When it falls to the Moors, this means that as the reconquest progresses, Arianism will start to be re-established in the Iberian peninsula. Could this delay and even prevent the reconquest?
 

Delvestius

Banned
The Visigoths would have only been allowed refuge in Aquitaine if they converted, so a Goth group who remained Arian would have a hard time finding their way into Iberia in the first place. Not to mention, even if it did somehow survive, it would have been squashed between the Moors and the HRE, with very little chance of survival.
 
The Visigothic King Reccared I converted from the Arian form of Christianity to Roman Catholicism. WI: The Visigothic Kingdom had remained Arian?
It would be hard to do in first place.

The arian christianism was a way to prevent the union between hispano-roman and germanic elites. Except that it meant the said roman elites would be at best defiant of the arian king, and more frequently hostiles.

When Leovigild tried to impose arianism, he only suceeded to make his son revolt against him thanks to the alliance with hispano-roman elites AND catholic Franks.

Ironically, the some forced or semi-forced conversion to arianism by visigothic or some roman nobles only managed to mix both even more ; not only the catholic (crypto-catholic or not) were definitly majoritary, but it allowed them to touch more easily the german elites.

Finally the adoption of catholicism allowed the visigothic king to impose a dynastic principe instead of a "real" election : it was making them more "roman" and less subjects to germanic customs.

But let's admit we have a bunch of suicidals kings wanting to impose arianism against the whole population, roman elites and visigothic nobles (or already covnerted, or arians but wanting to keep power).

Simply said : the kingdom is crushed.

The Franks would probably advance up to Ebre, using the unavoidable revolts at their benefit; the Suevians in Lusitania and Asturias, and even the Byzzies could take back some lands in Betica.

Eventually a catholic king would emerge in what would have remained of Visigothic Spain.

When it falls to the Moors, this means that as the reconquest progresses, Arianism will start to be re-established in the Iberian peninsula. Could this delay and even prevent the reconquest?

I think it would butterfly away the Arabo-Berber conquest as we know it quite easily. OTL it was possible thanks to particularly good conditions but even in 720's it was a said possibility by the arabs to not make Spain a new islamic country but to abandon it.

How can things turn after the late VI century would have effects on VIII.
 
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