Battle of Kadesh

Ramses II appear over his chariot

Battle of Kadesh in 1275 BC, senior battle between the Egyptians under Ramses II and the Hittites under Muwatallis, in Syria, southern of Hims, on the Orontes River. In one of the worlds greatest chariot battles, advertised beside the Orontes River, Pharaoh Ramses II attempted to wrest Syria from the Hittites and retaking the Hittite-held city of Kadesh. There was a day of slaughter as some 5,000 chariots positive into the fray, but no clean victor. The battle gone to the worlds basic recorded peace treaty.

Resolved to follow the expansionist policy enclosed by his father, Seti I, Ramses invaded Hittite soils in Palestine and ploughed on into Syria. Near the Orontes River, his soldiers captured two men who said they were apostates from the Hittite force, which now set some way off, outside Aleppo. This was assuring, since the firm pharaoh had forced well ahead of his essential army with an advance guard of 20,000 infantry and 2,000 chariots. Regrettably, the "deserters" were loyal agents of his enemy. Led by their High Prince, Muwatallis, the Hittites were at handwith 40,000 foot soldiers and 3,000 chariotsand swiftly assaulted. Their heavy, three-horse chariots high into the Egyptian vanguard, sprinkle its lighter chariots and the ranks behind. An easy victory seemed assured, and the Hittites dropped their guard and set about plundering their fallen foeman. Calm and determined, Ramses promptly remarshalled his men and launched a countermove.

Ramses attack in the battle of Kadesh (Wikipedia)

With their shock advantage gone, the Hittite chariots seemed slow and ungainly; the lighter Egyptian vehicles outmaneuvered them with ease. Ramses, bold and certain, managed to pluck from the jaws of overcome if not victory, then leastwise an honorable draw. Both sides claimed Kadesh as a triumph, and Ramses had his temples festooned with celebratory reliefs. In truth, the outcome was equivocal. thus much thus that, fifteen years later, the two sides given to Kadesh to check to a nonaggression pactthe basic knew instance in history.

The biased Egyptian version of the battle was recorded on galore temples by Ramses, but a Hittite version based at Boghazkoy has enabled a truer opinion of the battle.

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