How do you *realistically* get the Byzantines to successfully reconquer the Levant and/or North Africa after 700 (as in, after the year 700) and to permanently hold onto it for a very long time? By "very long time", I mean for at least a century or two, but ideally for as long as realistically possible. The Byzantines held onto Anatolia for over 350 years after the Arab invasions, after all.

On 6/29/21 9:53 PM, WolfBear wrote:

> How do you *realistically* get the Byzantines to successfully
> reconquer the Levant and/or North Africa after 700 (as in, after the
> year 700) and to permanently hold onto it for a very long time? By "very
> long time", I mean for at least a century or two, but ideally for as
> long as realistically possible. The Byzantines held onto Anatolia for
> over 350 years after the Arab invasions, after all.

Holding on is very different from reconquering. The Taurus Mountains
protected Anatolia. The Levant was wide open to invasion from the
South. And North Africa was a long way off.

How could such a reconquest happen?

The Caliphate falls into the hands of fanatics like the later
Almohads of NW Africa, who attempt to impose conversion by the
sword throughout the Middle East.

This spawns a massive wave of rebellions (including rebellions
in Persia), which Byzantium takes advantage of under a very
capable Emperor (think Basil II).

All this around 750 AD.

--
Nous sommes dans une pot de chambre, et nous y serons emmerdés.
--- General Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot at Sedan, 1870.

On Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at 6:06:39 PM UTC-7, Rich Rostrom wrote:
> On 6/29/21 9:53 PM, WolfBear wrote:
>
> > How do you *realistically* get the Byzantines to successfully
> > reconquer the Levant and/or North Africa after 700 (as in, after the
> > year 700) and to permanently hold onto it for a very long time? By "very
> > long time", I mean for at least a century or two, but ideally for as
> > long as realistically possible. The Byzantines held onto Anatolia for
> > over 350 years after the Arab invasions, after all.
> Holding on is very different from reconquering. The Taurus Mountains
> protected Anatolia. The Levant was wide open to invasion from the
> South. And North Africa was a long way off.
>
> How could such a reconquest happen?
>
> The Caliphate falls into the hands of fanatics like the later
> Almohads of NW Africa, who attempt to impose conversion by the
> sword throughout the Middle East.
>
> This spawns a massive wave of rebellions (including rebellions
> in Persia), which Byzantium takes advantage of under a very
> capable Emperor (think Basil II).
>
> All this around 750 AD.
>
> --
> Nous sommes dans une pot de chambre, et nous y serons emmerdés.
> --- General Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot at Sedan, 1870.

Interesting. No role for the Chinese in any of this?

On 6/30/21 10:53 PM, WolfBear wrote:
> Interesting. No role for the Chinese in any of this?

The Chinese never came anywhere near the Levant.
--
Nous sommes dans une pot de chambre, et nous y serons emmerdés.
--- General Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot at Sedan, 1870.

On Friday, July 2, 2021 at 3:07:27 PM UTC-7, Rich Rostrom wrote:
> On 6/30/21 10:53 PM, WolfBear wrote:
> > Interesting. No role for the Chinese in any of this?
> The Chinese never came anywhere near the Levant.
> --
> Nous sommes dans une pot de chambre, et nous y serons emmerdés.
> --- General Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot at Sedan, 1870.

No, but they did put pressure on the Muslim world in Central Asia, no?