The Battle of Kadesh

Paper Summary:

This paper describes the Battle of Kadesh, which took place in the middle of the second century B.C., in which two nations fought for control over a land route that led from Asia and Egypt to the continent of Europe, involving the Hittites, the Egyptian forces of Ramses II, and the rogue tribe of Amarru, which was in the process of defecting from the Hittites to the protection of the Egyptians. The author points out that the failure of Ramses's campaign was a result of his tactical errors; he did not send enough scouts to explore the countryside and gain accurate information as to the position and strength of his enemy. The paper relates that the modern writer's evaluation of this battle is based mostly on the Egyptian record keepers, who were a much more formal social order than those of the Bedouin, wandering Hittite tribes; therefore, much of this information comes from the Egyptian poets, archaeological digs, and other relics recovered from this period.

From the Paper:

"The political setting leading up to the war can be described thus. The Hittites and the Egyptians were the most significantly powerful tribes of this time. Egypt controlled the land south of the Mediterranean, leading into Canaan, and up the isthmus which lead into Europe. The Hittites resided at the north end of the isthmus in the areas know known as Turkey and Syria. Their interests lied in maintaining control over this important trade route while Egypt's between Egypt and the north along the eastern Mediterranean coast while Egypt's goals resided in expanding their influence in order to control the trade routes. Control over this region could mean access to goods which were beyond Egypt's ability to travel. They could also, theoretically, use the commerce trades as a source of revenue. Thus the two parties, with equally commercial and political interest in the region, wanted to expand their own balance of power."

More papers on The Battle of Kadesh:

• Research Paper # 47586 : "Rameses II and the Hittites"
• Narrative Essay # 93149 : "The Battle of Algiers"
• Comparison Essay # 103335 : "The Contemporary Relevance of "The Battle of Algiers"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: