Foreign Relations: Battle of Kadesh

Question 1

Context

Background

Answer 1

• Year 2: Ramesses set his sights on recapturing all the northern territories won by his hero, Thutmose III
• Kadesh was the strategic key to controlling the north that had been lost since the reign of Amenhotep II
• Seti had campaigned there, but had returned Kadesh to them

Question 2

Year 4

Background

Answer 2

• Ramesses marched into Syria
• Recaptured Amurru (southern Syria), who had given their allegiance to the Hittites
• Ramesses forced Amurru’s king, Benteshina, to accept Egyptian overlordship and acknowledge his own vassal status
• This attack had taken the Hittites by surprise. Alerted by Ramesses’ intervention in southern Syria, King Muwatallis began an elaborate plan to asseumble a huge army to defend Kadesh and recover Amurru

Question 3

Bedouins bring false information and Egyptians advance to Kadesh

Course

Answer 3

• King Muwatallis rallied several allies including king of Aleppo, and waited for Ramesses behind the north-east hills of Kadesh
• Ramesses led his divisions of Amun, Ra, Ptah and Seth overland through Canaan, while a small support force marched up the coast to meet up with him at Kadesh

THE TRAP

• Two Bedouins brought Ramesses news that Muwatallis was still 193 kilometres away at Tunip, too afraid to march south to meet the Egyptians
• Ramesses prematurely set up camp to the NE of Kadesh to wait for the arrival of his other divisions
• Ramesses sent out scouts who captured 2 Hittites, who gave Ramesses the real location of the Hittites: “Look, the vile Chief of Khatti has come together with the many countries who are with him…They are equipped with their infantry and their chariotry, and with their weapons of war. They are more numerous than the sands of the shores. Look, they stand equipped and ready to fight behind Kadesh the Old”
• Ramesses immediately sent his vizier south to hurry the remainder of his army northwards, but it was too late

Question 4

Hittites attack (battle)

Course

Answer 4

• Hittites launched a surprise attack on the Ra division which was en route to join Ramesses → Ra division thrown into disarray, forced to scatter and some tried to flee. Hittite chariots relentlessly pursued the fleeing troops, exacerbating the confusion in the Egyptian ranks.
• “Crossing the ford to the south of Kadesh they charged into his majesty’s army as it marched unaware…Thereupon the forces of the foe from Khatti surrounded the followers of his majesty who were by his side.”
• “Taking up weapons and donning his armour… [Ramesses] mounted “Victory-in-Thebes, his great horse, and started out quickly alone by himself… His majesty slew the entire force of the foe from Khatti…His majesty slaughtered them in their places; they sprawled before his horses; and his majesty was alone, none other with him”

Arrival of reinforcements: The surprise arrival of a body of Ne’arin troops from Amurru, now allied to the Egyptians, that stopped the Hittite reserves.
* “The arrival of the reinforcements of pharaoh, from the land of Amurru…The reinforcements cut off the foe belonging to the vanquished Chief of Khatti, while [the foe] were entering onto the camp, and pharaoh’s officers slew them; they left not a single survivor among them.”

Inconclusive stalemate: After leading 6 charges against the Hittites, Ramesses II was able to force the Hittites back to the banks of the river. Those HIttites who could not swim drowned

Question 5

Video notes

Answer 5

Between 1400-1300 BCE, Egypt lost control of northern Syria –> political instability on the region
Horemheb’s rule marked a resurgence in Egyptian military initiatives
Seti I aimed to restory Egypt’s further glory.
1274 BCE, Ramesses II led a force from Pi-Ramesses that aimed to regain Amurru, and motivated leader of Hittites to fight at Kadesh
Egyptian chariot force - no fewer than 2000 chariots distributed among
King Muwatalli II rallied several allies including king of Aleppo
Placed his forces behind Old Kadesh
Ramesses II ordered his troops to set up camp prematurely
Hittites launched a surprise attack on the Ra division which was en route to join Ramesses - Ra division quickly thrown into disarray, forced to scatter and some tried to flee
Hittite chariots relentlessly pursued the fleeing troops, exacerbating the confusion in the Egyptian ranks.
Hittite charioteers extended thie roffensive, sweeping northwards towards the Egyptian encampment
Breached the Amun encampment

Question 6

Consequences of the battle of Kadesh

Answer 6

• Battle was inconclusive, but both sides claimed victory
• Both Egyptian and Hittite forces suffered heavy losses, but Kadesh remained in Hittite control
• After Ramesses returned to Egypt, Hittites moved against Amurru and removed Benteshina, its ruler, who was a vassal of Egypt
• Hittites also took Egyptian province of Upi
• In Year 7-8 Ramesses reinforced Egyptian overlordship of Canaan and the eastern parts of Palestine, and regained Upi
• Muwatallis’ death weakened the Hittites, as there was disputed succession
• After 15 years of inconclusive campaigning, King Hattusili III proposed a peace treaty