User:Dami71/sandbox
INTRODUCTION
The Late Bronze Age war between the New Kingdom of Egypt and the Hittite Empire to the north occurred at a time when pharaoh Ramesses II sought to reestablish Egyptian influence in its former territory in Syria. The Hittites, whose capital city Hattusa was located in Anatolia, or modern-day Turkey, had defeated the Babylonians in 1595 BCE and had emerged as one of the prominent regional powers of the time. The Anatolian plateau was rich in copper and tin, the metals required to forge the bronze weapons common to the time, but the plateau's rugged terrain did not allow for widespread cultivation, and much of the empire's food was imported from the fertile Euphrates River valley. As such, control of well-used trade routes, many of which passed near or through the city of Kadesh, was of vital importance to the Hittite Empire. Ramesses II wished to reclaim imperial lands in Syria that had been lost under previous rulers, and he forged an uneasy alliance with the Mittani Empire that was situated along the Hittites' eastern flank.[1]
The War
The conflict between the two powers came to a head at the Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BCE. Marching north from their homeland, the Egyptian army under Ramesses II numbered an estimated 20,000 men split into four divisions and was accompanied by a large number of Egyptian two-man war chariots.>article>the-battle-of-kadesh-the-first-peace-treaty At Kadesh, which had been fortified against attack by the Hittite king Muwatalli II, Ramesses sought to claim a decisive victory that would drive the Hittites from the Egyptian border. A victory at Kadesh would allow him to seize control of the city and its vital trade routes, and would serve to restore Egyptian influence in Syria.To oppose him, Muwatalli mustered a force of an estimated 37,00 foot soldiers and 3500 three-man chariots. The ensuing battle, often referred to as the largest chariot battle in history, was
The two-wheeled Egyptian chariots were fast, and as a result Ramesses inadvertently split his forces.... Bronze Age...the Hittites were known for their metalworking and had ...Iron Age....
Both sides claimed victory...but the two powers eventually signed what is commonly recognized as history's first peace treaty in 1258 BCE...