Battle of kadesh: How Ramses II’s Tactical Brilliance Saved Egypt from Annihilation

The Battle of Kadesh is one of the most famous battles in ancient history. The battle took place between the Egyptians led by King Ramesses II and the Hittites led by King Muwatli II, near the city of Kadesh, which is located on the western bank of the Orontes River south of Lake Homs in Syria, and dates back to the fifth year of Ramesses’ accession. The second is the rule in Egypt, which corresponds to approximately 1274 BC.

Battle of kadesh : How Ramses II’s Tactical Brilliance Saved Egypt from Annihilation

Historical studies indicate that the Hittite or Khiti people were one of the Indo-European peoples, who arrived in the Asia Minor region, to take “Khatushash” (present-day Bugazköy), located in the wide bend of the Khalis River, as the capital of the kingdom that they established in this region, and it was most likely At the beginning of the second millennium BC. At its inception, the Hittite Kingdom, like all the kingdoms of the ancient Near East, was composed of a union of neighboring states in Anatolia. The result of this union was the establishment of the first Hittite Kingdom during the nineteenth century BC.

During the first half of the Eighteenth Dynasty, the Hittites did not have a significant role in their relations with Egypt, but during the reign of Amenhotep III, the name of Khita appeared in four lists, and they were mentioned in the Amarna letters.

Since the reign of the Hittite king “Shubiluluma I”, the star of the Hittites in Anatolia began to rise slowly, and the rise of the Hittites from their strongholds in the Anatolian highlands during the early fourteenth century BC represented a serious threat to Egypt and its empire in Syria and Palestine.

Rise of the Hittit empire 

Hittite prosperity was mostly dependent on control of trade routes and mineral sources. Given the importance of northern Syria for the vital roads linking the Cilicia Gates to Mesopotamia, the defense of this region was crucial and was soon tested by Egyptian expansion under Pharaoh Ramesses II. The outcome of the battle is uncertain, although it appears that the timely arrival of Egyptian reinforcements prevented the Hittites from a complete victory.

Kings Seti I and Ramesses II worked to restore Egypt’s political and military influence and prestige in the region, and decided to lead the Egyptian army to Syria and Palestine again to restore Egypt’s lost properties there since the Amarna era. Hence, King Seti I succeeded in restoring large parts of Egypt’s possessions in Syria and Palestine.

He also succeeded in clashing with the Hittite Empire, Egypt’s arch enemy in the region, and the Egyptian army was able to achieve some victories over the Hittites that were not decisive, but they restored part of the empire. Great for Egypt’s political and military reputation.

King Ramesses II worked to continue his father’s policy to restore Egypt’s influence and possessions in the region. Indeed, King Ramesses II went out with the Egyptian army in the fifth year of his reign (about 1274 BC) to fight the Hittites and their successors in the Syrian city of Kadesh, and it took place between the Egyptians.

The Battle of Kadesh and the Hittites was considered the most important and famous battle in the history of the ancient world.

A few years after the Battle of Kadesh, King Ramesses II returned to lead the Egyptian army in campaigns against Syria and Palestine aimed at imposing Egypt’s political and military influence, breaking the power of the Hittites in the region, and preventing it from interfering in Affairs of the states of Egypt.

the conflict between the Egyptians and the Hittites ended with the conclusion of a peace treaty and alliance between Kings Ramses II and Khatusil III in the eleventh and twenty-first year of the reign of King Ramesses II, and then the region enjoyed peace and political stability that it had never witnessed before.

What are the causes of the Battle of Kadesh?

 The following is the most important information about the reasons for the outbreak of the Battle of Kadesh:

• Pharaonic influence began to decline in the Asian region at the end of the reign of the kings of the Eighth Pharaonic Dynasty, due to the disturbances that broke out due to the civil war during Akhenaten’s religious revolution in Egypt. The Hittites took advantage of these disturbances and formed many alliances against the Egyptians, and the Pharaohs lost many regions in Western Asia. Akhenaten did not respond to the letters of his princes there in what was known as the Amarna letters.
• After the death of Akhenaten and the return of the Egyptians to the worship of Amun, Pharaoh Horemheb assumed power and died without an heir. After him, one of the army commanders took power, namely Ramesses I, founder of the Nineteenth Dynasty. These rulers tried to restore the influence of the pharaohs from the Hittites, and two years later Seti I took power after the death of his father. Ramesses I began several military campaigns against the Hittites, succeeded in several campaigns, and his son Ramesses II assumed power after him.
• Ramesses II began his first campaigns four years after assuming power. He arrived with his army at Nahr al-Kalb, north of the city of Beirut, and erected a memorial plaque there. He regained control over the province of Amur. In the fifth year, he continued his advance northward with the aim of controlling the Levant, and met the Hittite armies at the city of Kadesh.

What are the most important events of the Battle of Kadesh?

 The following are the most important events that took place in the Battle of Kadesh:

• Ramesses II with his army approached the city of Kadesh and camped one day’s walk from it, and during that time two Bedouin men entered him, claiming that they were fleeing from the Hittites, and they told the king about the location of the Hittites, and indicated that the Hittites had left their positions and arrived in northern Syria near the city of Aleppo. This news was fake, and these two men were spies for the Hittites.
• Ramesses marched at the head of Amun’s legion based on that news without confirming its authenticity. He crossed the Orontes River and reached a high place northwest of Kadesh. Ramesses camped there waiting for the rest of the army. During that time, his army arrested soldiers scouting for the Hittites and learned from them the truth, which is that the Hittites were in Kadesh and their armies are on their way to surprise the Egyptians.
• Half of the Hittite armies crossed the Orontes River, and Ramesses was surprised by them. He had left a large distance between him and his army. The Hittites attacked the legion and destroyed it, and besieged Ramesses and the rest of the army. Ramesses led an attack against them and surrounded the Hittites and forced them to retreat to the river. At that moment, supplies arrived from his soldiers from Amur country, the Hittites were besieged and fled into the river, abandoning their weapons and chariots.
• The next day, a second battle took place, which was also inconclusive. King Ramesses claimed that King Muwatalli had sent him a request for peace, but there is no evidence of this among the Hittites, and the battle ended with heavy losses incurred by both sides.

What are the most important events of the Battle of Kadesh? 

The following are the most important events that took place in the Battle of Kadesh:

• Ramesses II with his army approached the city of Kadesh and camped one day’s walk from it, and during that time two Bedouin men entered him, claiming that they were fleeing from the Hittites, and they told the king about the location of the Hittites, and indicated that the Hittites had left their positions and arrived in northern Syria near the city of Aleppo. This news was fake, and these two men were spies for the Hittites.
• Ramesses II declared his victory at Kadesh after the battle, the details of which were inscribed in what is known as the Battle of Kadesh Hymn on the walls of the Ramesseum Temple, Luxor Temple, and Abu Simbel Temple.
• King Muwatalli mentioned that the Battle of Kadesh was a victory for the Hittites, and he mentioned that the Amur region fell into the hands of the Hittites as well, but Ramesses did not stop his campaigns, and during the next ten years he seized several areas, the most important of which was “Dabur”, and the Hittites withdrew, leaving the largest part of Syria without protection, and then took over Ali Tushab or Tunib after the death of Muwatalli, until the Assyrians appeared in Iraq and threatened the influence of the Hittites and Egyptians in the Levant.

What is the first peace treaty in history?

 After many years of wars between the Hittites and the Egyptians, and the emergence of the Assyrians as a power in northern Iraq, the Egyptians and the Hittites concluded an official peace treaty between them, and that was approximately in the year 1258 BC. The treaty was engraved on a silver tablet, and a clay copy of it remained in the Hittite capital, Hattusa. Hattusas” in Turkey, and is still preserved in the Archeology Museum in the capital, Istanbul. This treaty is the first documented peace treaty in history.

 

Conclusion.

The Battle of Kadesh, fought around 1274 BCE, was one of the largest chariot battles in history, between the forces of Pharaoh Ramses II of Egypt and the Hittite Empire. According to Egyptian sources, Ramses II claimed a great victory, although modern historians believe the battle ended in a stalemate.

The Egyptians were initially caught off guard by a surprise attack from Hittite chariots at the Egyptian camp, but Ramses II reportedly regrouped and led a counterattack. Despite the unclear outcome, the battle solidified Ramses II’s reputation as a formidable leader and was later immortalized in Egyptian temples and monuments.