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

Course

Answer 2

• Ramesses marched into Syria
• Recaptured Amurru and celebrated a victory on his return to Per-Ramesses

Consequences

• This attack had taken the Hittites by surprise
• King Muwatallis began an elaborate plan to asseumble a huge army to defend Kadesh and recover Amurru

Question 3

Year 5

Course

Answer 3

• Muwatallis 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 new that Muwatallis was still 193 kilometres away at Tunip, too afraid to march south to meet the Egyptians
• Ramesses 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
• Ramesses immediately sent his vizier south to hurry the remainder of his army northwards, but it was too late