The Reconquista: Every Year

In the early Eighth Century, the Umayyad Caliphate began an invasion of Christian Iberia. Although losing control half a century later, their legacy would spark a conflict to last almost 800 years, to decide the peninsula's future as either an Islamic or Christian state. With the destruction of the last Islamic Kingdom in Iberia, Granada, the Reconquista is complete. Three of the remaining Christian kingdoms, Castile, Navarre, and Aragon would unite shortly after to form Spain, and ultimately the Spanish Empire.

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Music: John Dreamer - Becoming a Legend

[leegrant]

why are Medieval movies so focused on England and France? The Moors and Spaniards fought each other for hundreds of years there's bond to be some good movie material right there.

[victoramaya]

It's incredible that even after Hundreds of years and generations back then, they never stopped fighting to recover their land

[Rodry]

When you think you are doomed, just renember the kingdom of asturias.

[rattfink]

there's essencially two reasons as to why the moorish invasion was so quick and easy:
1 - the visigoths didn't allow the roman-iberian populations they were ruling to own weapons and form militias, in hopes to stop any sort of revolt
2 - the visigothic kingdom was in a sort of civil war and a visigothic lord from gibraltar literally asked the moors for help, and they decided to help a little too much

[atadoff]

Spanish history doesn't get the attention or repect it deserves. Hard won fight.

[jorllima]

In Spain there is a surname that literally means MOOR KILLER (Matamoros)

[Xandy]

0:16 "Your Eminence, we've captured all of the peninsula, except this one backwater mountain range in the northern coast."
"Eh, just ignore it. Can't be more than like 200 people living there. What's the worst that could happen?"

[mikotansingco]

Anyone else notice how they kicked out the Muslims, united into the Spanish empire, and discovered the Americas all in the same year?

[waltuh]

Yes, we Spaniards and Portuguese fought the longest war in history

[Hjw]

Imagine being a Soldier in the early 8th century hoping that the war in Iberia would end soon.

(guys this is a joke)

[drgalapero]

Some people can't understand that if the Reconquista wasn't sucessful Europe would have fall in hands of the Islam, the Ottomans in the East and the Arabs in the West. Respect to the Polish, Venecians and other Christians that helped for this never happen.

[alannreyes]

The Kingdom of Granada was for 200 years a kingdom that paid tribute to the Kingdom of Castile so that they did not invade them, that is why they lasted so long.

[AdamNoizer]

One thing that’s really interesting about this map, is how overtime the Muslims fractured from the Umayyads into lots of taifa kingdoms. Whereas the Hispano-Visigothic Crowns of Asturias, later Leon/Castile, Aragon etc gradually became more united. It’s like they both took opposite directions.

[Alvaro-zzls]

Spain and Portugal always friends, always brothers.
Hermanos para siempre!!

[adonisparts]

I love how the conflict was so long that both sides fought against themselves several times completely independent from the Reconquista, with various kingdoms appearing, falling and appearing again.

[chainsawninjalcemist]

The Virgin crusades vs THE CHAD RECONQUISTA

[HuszOG]

My ancestors fought on the reconquista, my second surname is Ballesteros (which means crossbowmen), im really proud of that!!
Blessings from Argentina.

[BroadcastDr]

And then Spain and Portugal went on to conquer most of the new world! Good job!

[juannlja]

Although I am not a Christian, but I do admire their perseverance and determination to free themselves in the reconquista. After almost 8 hundred years, the spaniards and portuguese not only freed themselves, but they also conquered the New world. Because of what they did, today spanish and portuguese are so widely spoken in the world. I really salute them.

[achillesrodriguezxx]

It's great to see asturias rise from a small rebel state to a state which encompassed the whole peninsular. The will and determination of the spainairds are legendary.