"North Africa's Transition from Christianity to Islam," Walter Kaegi

A lecture by Walter Kaegi (University of Chicago) given on January 30, 2014.
Who 'lost' Christian North Africa? Who won it and how? Persisting clouds of suspicion and blame overshadowed many Byzantine attempts to defend North Africa, as Byzantines failed to meet the multiple challenges from different directions which ultimately overwhelmed them. While the Muslims forcefully and permanently turned Byzantine internal dynastic and religious problems and military unrest to their advantage, they brought their own strengths to a dynamic process that would take a long time to complete - the transformation of North Africa.