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# Battle of Kadesh

# Battle of Kadesh

## Overview
The Battle of Kadesh (~1274 BCE) was fought between the Egyptian Empire under Ramesses II and the Hittite Empire under Muwatalli II near the city of Kadesh on the Orontes River (modern Syria). It is the earliest battle for which detailed tactical accounts survive from both sides. @t[~1274 BCE]

## Key Facts
- Date: ~1274 BCE @t[~1274 BCE]
- Location: Kadesh, on the Orontes River (modern Tell Nebi Mend, Syria)
- Belligerents: Egypt vs. Hittite Empire
- Commanders: Ramesses II (Egypt), Muwatalli II (Hittites)
- Result: Tactically indecisive; both sides claimed victory [^1]

## The Battle
- Largest chariot battle in history (~5,000–6,000 chariots total)
- Ramesses was ambushed after receiving false intelligence from Hittite spies
- Egyptian camp nearly overrun before reinforcements arrived
- Ramesses personally led a counterattack

## Aftermath
- Led to the Treaty of Kadesh (~1259 BCE), the earliest known international peace treaty @t[~1259 BCE]
- Egypt retained influence in Canaan; Hittites kept Syria
- Ramesses commissioned extensive propaganda reliefs at Abu Simbel, Karnak, and the Ramesseum [^2]

---
[^1]: Spalinger, A. *War in Ancient Egypt* (Blackwell, 2005)
[^2]: Kitchen, K.A. *Pharaoh Triumphant* (1982)
---

## Review Queue

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- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 10: "Date: ~1274 BCE" - when was this true?
> BCE event. Date from Egyptian records at Karnak and Abu Simbel; modern analysis in Spalinger, *War in Ancient Egypt* (2005) [^1] and Kitchen, *Pharaoh Triumphant* (1982) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 11: "Location: Kadesh, on the Orontes River (modern Tell Nebi Mend, Syria)" - when was this true?
> BCE-era fact. Attested by Egyptian Bulletin of Kadesh and Hittite records from Hattusa; confirmed in Spalinger (2005) [^1] and Kitchen (1982) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 12: "Belligerents: Egypt vs. Hittite Empire" - when was this true?
> BCE-era fact. Attested by both Egyptian and Hittite records; confirmed in Spalinger (2005) [^1].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 13: "Commanders: Ramesses II (Egypt), Muwatalli II (Hittites)" - when was this true?
> BCE-era fact. Attested by Egyptian records and Hittite records from Hattusa; confirmed in Kitchen (1982) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 14: "Result: Tactically indecisive; both sides claimed victory [^1]" - when was this true?
> BCE-era fact. Both sides' victory claims attested in their own records. Modern assessment of indecisive outcome in Spalinger (2005) [^1].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 17: "Largest chariot battle in history (~5,000–6,000 chariots total)" - when was this true?
> BCE-era fact. Chariot estimates from Egyptian and Hittite records; modern analysis in Spalinger (2005) [^1].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 18: "Ramesses was ambushed after receiving false intelligence from Hittite spies" - when was this true?
> BCE event (~1274 BCE). Attested by the Egyptian Bulletin of Kadesh; confirmed in Kitchen (1982) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 19: "Egyptian camp nearly overrun before reinforcements arrived" - when was this true?
> BCE event (~1274 BCE). Attested by the Egyptian Bulletin of Kadesh; confirmed in Kitchen (1982) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 20: "Ramesses personally led a counterattack" - when was this true?
> BCE event (~1274 BCE). Attested by the Egyptian Poem of Kadesh; confirmed in Kitchen (1982) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 23: "Led to the Treaty of Kadesh (~1259 BCE), the earliest known international pea..." - when was this true?
> BCE-era fact. Treaty text preserved in both Egyptian (Karnak) and Hittite (Hattusa) copies; modern analysis in Beckman, *Hittite Diplomatic Texts* (1999) and Kitchen (1982) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 24: "Egypt retained influence in Canaan; Hittites kept Syria" - when was this true?
> BCE-era fact (post-treaty arrangement, ~1259 BCE onward). Attested by treaty terms; confirmed in Spalinger (2005) [^1] and Kitchen (1982) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 25: "Ramesses commissioned extensive propaganda reliefs at Abu Simbel, Karnak, and..." - when was this true?
> BCE-era fact (during Ramesses II's reign, ~1274-1213 BCE). The reliefs themselves are the primary source; scholarly analysis in Kitchen (1982) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 10: "Date: ~1274 BCE" - what is the source?
> Source: Spalinger (2005) [^1]; Kitchen (1982) [^2]. Egyptian records at Karnak, Abu Simbel, and the Ramesseum.
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 11: "Location: Kadesh, on the Orontes River (modern Tell Nebi Mend, Syria)" - what is the source?
> Source: Spalinger (2005) [^1]; Kitchen (1982) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 12: "Belligerents: Egypt vs. Hittite Empire" - what is the source?
> Source: Egyptian and Hittite records; Spalinger (2005) [^1].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 13: "Commanders: Ramesses II (Egypt), Muwatalli II (Hittites)" - what is the source?
> Source: Egyptian records; Kitchen (1982) [^2]; Hittite records from Hattusa.
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 17: "Largest chariot battle in history (~5,000–6,000 chariots total)" - what is the source?
> Source: Spalinger (2005) [^1]. Chariot estimates based on Egyptian and Hittite records.
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 18: "Ramesses was ambushed after receiving false intelligence from Hittite spies" - what is the source?
> Source: Egyptian Bulletin and Poem of Kadesh; Kitchen (1982) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 19: "Egyptian camp nearly overrun before reinforcements arrived" - what is the source?
> Source: Egyptian Bulletin of Kadesh; Kitchen (1982) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 20: "Ramesses personally led a counterattack" - what is the source?
> Source: Egyptian Poem of Kadesh; Kitchen (1982) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 23: "Led to the Treaty of Kadesh (~1259 BCE), the earliest known international pea..." - what is the source?
> Source: Beckman, Hittite Diplomatic Texts (1999); Kitchen (1982) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 24: "Egypt retained influence in Canaan; Hittites kept Syria" - what is the source?
> Source: Spalinger (2005) [^1]; Kitchen (1982) [^2].
- [x] `@q[ambiguous]` Line 13: "Commanders: Ramesses II (Egypt), Muwatalli II (Hittites)" - what does "II" mean in this context?
> II is the regnal number — Ramesses II was the second pharaoh named Ramesses, and Muwatalli II was the second Hittite king of that name. Standard historical convention.
- [x] `@q[stale]` Line 14: "Result: Tactically indecisive; both sides claimed victory [^1]" - Spalinger source from 2005 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
> Scholarship remains current. Spalinger's work on the Battle of Kadesh is still authoritative.
- [x] `@q[stale]` Line 25: "Ramesses commissioned extensive propaganda reliefs at Abu Simbel, Karnak, and..." - Kitchen source from 1982 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
> Scholarship remains current. Kitchen's work on Ramesses II is still foundational.