A stronger Suebi kingdom?

[Vinization]

While restricted to northern Portugal and Galicia for most of its existence, the kingdom of the Suebi did, for a brief while, rule most of the western Iberian Peninsula (and launch raids on the rest of it, which went as far east as modern Catalonia), during the reigns of Rechila and his son Rechiar. These conquests were reversed by a coalition of Visigoths, Franks and Burgundians, who defeated Rechiar in battle and eventually sacked the Suebi capital of Braga in 456 AD.

But what if Rechiar won, something that would allow the Suebi to consolidate their control over at least Portugal and western Spain? Could they eventually take Carthaginensis and Tarraconensis, therefore unifying all of Hispania under their leadership? How could this affect the collapse of the Western Roman Empire?

Lastly, according to Wikipedia Rechiar was a Chalcedonian Christian, rather than an Arian like the Visigothic kings. Could this generate ripple effects among other barbarian kingdoms, such as them abandoning Arianism sooner?

 

[Pat the Baker]

Do we know why they decided to go with Chalcedonianism instead of Arianism?

 

[Vinization]

Do we know why they decided to go with Chalcedonianism instead of Arianism?

Wikipedia (not exactly a reliable source on obscure matters like this) says Rechila died a pagan, so Rechiar might've become a Chalcedonian out of convenience, since that was the Christian denomination followed by most of his subjects. After all, Arianism was always a minority IIRC.

I wonder if the Suebi could've taken the Franks' place as the "Pope's sword", so to speak.

 

[herkles]

Wikipedia (not exactly a reliable source on obscure matters like this) says Rechila died a pagan, so Rechiar might've become a Chalcedonian out of convenience, since that was the Christian denomination followed by most of his subjects. After all, Arianism was always a minority IIRC.

I wonder if the Suebi could've taken the Franks' place as the "Pope's sword", so to speak.

I wonder how much of it also was to go with Chalcedonism because the Visogoths were Arians?

 

[Fulano]

But what if Rechiar won, something that would allow the Suebi to consolidate their control over at least Portugal and western Spain? Could they eventually take Carthaginensis and Tarraconensis, therefore unifying all of Hispania under their leadership?

I am sure he would have unified the whole thing in his timeline. Rechila was in his way of doing it until he died, after all.
He was basically what Clovis was for the Franks, except Clovis actually managed to consolidate his conquests and set a framework in which his successors could work on, while Rechila didn't. You just need for Rechila to live longer to "pave the way" for his future successors.

How could this affect the collapse of the Western Roman Empire?

It would probably have collapsed sooner. Although in OTL, the Romans were more or less happy to see the Visigoths and the Suebi fight each other while they were kept on the sidelines watching the whole thing watching the whole thing.
Maybe in this timeline the Visigoths are actively "sponsored" by the Romans to keep the Suebi contained in the peninsula. Or maybe they would prefer the Suebi? Them being Chalcedonians, just like them.

 

[eberardo con la barba]

Part of the Suebi went to the iberian peninsula, the other (probably more numerous) part stayed in southwestern germany, where they were subsequently called Alemanni - actually Suebi and Alemanni are two different names for the same tribe. So... I imagine that it would help both the Suebi in iberia as well as in germany if they manage to form an alliance, thereby creating two fronts - two fronts at least concerning a common enemy, the Franks. Though I'm not sure whether their diplomatic standards were developed enough for that kind of an alliance.