On 9 May 1274 BCE, the Battle of Kadesh was fought between the Egyptians under Ramesses II and the Hittites under Muwatalli II during the Wars of Ancient Egypt.
Why did it happen?
During the latter half of the second millennium BCE, the Egyptians and Hittites fought each other to control the trade routes in Lebanon and Syria between the two empires. During the reign of Seti I (1294-1279 BCE), the Hittites under Muwatalli II built up a formidable army comprising infantry and chariots. When Seti died in 1279 BCE, his son, Ramesses II, succeeded him, and he began a successful campaign up the eastern Mediterranean coast in 1275 BCE, catching the Hittites off guard. However, when Ramesses returned the following year to besiege Kadesh, he was met by Hittite deserters who claimed that Muwatalli’s army was further north near Aleppo. In reality, the Hittite army was encamped to the east of Kadesh and planned to ambush the Egyptian army before it could capture the city.
Who was involved?
The Egyptian army at Kadesh numbered 20,000 infantry and 2,000 chariots. The Egyptian army was divided into four divisions of 5,000 infantry and 500 chariots each: AMON, NA’ARUN, PTAH and RE. Because they believed the Hittite army was further north, the Egyptians had not planned on fighting a battle and expected to encamp in front of Kadesh and starve it into surrender. The Hittite army at Kadesh numbered 37,000 infantry and 3,500 chariots. To avoid being seen, the Hittite army moved across the east of the Orontes River and then south, “always keeping the city between themselves and the enemy – to avoid being seen” (Montgomery, 1968, p.46). The Hittites planned to ambush the Egyptian army as it marched north and split it in two, isolating Ramesses from reinforcements.
What happened?
On 9 May, King Muwatalli ordered 2,500 chariots across the Orontes River to attack the Egyptian Division of RE in the flank and rout it. The Hittite chariots then attacked the Egyptian camp but broke formation to loot it. In response, Ramesses led a counterattack against the Hittites, using both chariots and archers to regain some control of the situation. At the same time, the Egyptian Divisions of NA’ARUN and PTAH arrived in time to aid Ramesses and put the disordered Hittites to rout. Muwatalli then sent over his remaining 1,000 chariots, only for them to be defeated by the Egyptians. The surviving Hittite army then retreated into Kadesh, while the Egyptian army also retreated.
What changed as a result?
The Battle of Kadesh was a tactical Egyptian victory and a strategic Hittite victory. In the aftermath of the battle, Ramesses withdrew south while Kadesh remained a Hittite possession. In 1258 BCE, the Egyptians and Hittites signed the world’s first-recorded peace treaty, which recognised the Hittite claim over Syria. Ramesses would rule over Egypt and fight further campaigns against Moab, Negeb and Libya until he died in 1213 BCE, after which the Egyptian and Hittite Empires would come under attack from the Sea Peoples. While the Hittite Empire would collapse in 1200 BCE, the Egyptians under Ramesses III successfully repelled the Sea Peoples at the Battle of the Nile Delta in 1176 BCE. After Ramesses III died in 1150 BCE, the New Kingdom of Egypt declined until Egypt was divided in two in 1069 BCE: the High Priests of Amun ruling Upper Egypt and the twenty-first dynasty in Lower Egypt.
Bibliography
Cotterell, Arthur. Chariot: The Astounding Rise and Fall of the World’s First War Machine. London, Pimlico, 2005.
Grant, R.G. Battle: A Visual Journey Through 5,000 Years of Combat. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2005.
Montgomery, Bernard. A History of Warfare. London, Collins, 1968.
Swanston, Malcolm. Mapping History: Battles and Campaigns. Royston, Eagle Editions, 2007.
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