If Attila had conquered the entire Italy, what would have happened?

Question

If Pope Leon hadn't convinced Attila to retreat with his troops from Italy, would history have been different?

Answer 1

Not much. There were several other factors that contributed to Attila withdrawing.

However, the reason his dynasty did not outlast his death, is because his sons could not agree on the division of the territories, which as a divided force, left them open to defeat by their enemies.

There is better provenance that Aetius and Marcion, along with a plague, were primarily responsible for the diminution of Attila's forces. The source information claiming that the Pope, St Peter and St Paul comes from a fable by Prosper of Acquitaine.

The Pope was not very powerful at that time.

However, the Roman Empire was already in a state of decline.

It could however, have allowed the Persian Empire to reach even greater heights than it did in the 5th century, or it may have galvanized the groups of the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empires to strengthen their alliances. Such alliance may have even averted a future schism in Christianity, because with a stronger alliance, there would be energies directed outward, and a stronger fellowship within, that could have reduced the possibility of the schism.

So, yes, it could have been world-changing, although Attila's heirs would not have been any more likely to clash, and fall before their allied enemies.

Answer 2

As I am Italian I think i am entitled to answer your question...
I believe that nothing would have really changed... Italy was actually invaded all over by Barbarians, and later was submitted to French, Austrian, Spanish... we have been divided till one century ago, so it would have not made a big difference... and that's the reason of many Italian problems: different cultures and traditions...
Ciao...

Answer 3

certainly, there may have never been a holy roman empire