A Comparison of Warfare of Between The Ancient Egyptian and Hittites

3515 Words8 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: advance of technology in the military.

“The art of war is of vital importance to the state. It is a matter of life and death, a road to either safety or ruin. Hence it is the subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected” by Sun Tzu by of Sun Tzu’s philosophy on warfare in 400-320 B.C. echoes back across time, when the ancient world was being shaped and carved by war.

Two ancient world superpowers the Egyptians and Hittites were in a struggle for dominance in the ancient Middle East, with control of the lucrative trade routes the key to supremacy. Their art of warfare; military technology, strategy and tactics collide and the fate of their empires, lie solely on the outcome of a single confrontation which has become known as The Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BC. It is history’s first documented large scale conflict and this paper will explore and compare the warfare technology of these two ancient civilizations and its deployment of the battlefield.

The Development of Warfare Technology

Egypt began as a collection of feudal settlements in 3200 BC along the Nile Delta that continued to grow by military expansion and over centuries became an empire controlling most of the ancient Middle East, north to Syria- Palestine and south to Nubia. (Ancient Egypt, 2011) (Morkot, 2003, p. xxxvii)The threat of invasion was never a concern for Egypt as they had benefited from its geographical location, protected by the desert to the east and west and by the Mediterranean Sea in the north. In addition, the Egyptians enjoyed military superiority over their enemies and thus believed they did not require weapons more advanced than their enemies. This situation did not incentivize the Egyptians to participate in the international arms trade of their day, “Diplomacy , rather tha...

... middle of paper ...

...fare . USA.

Mark Schwartz, P. (2010). B.C. Battles: Raging Chariots History Channel.

Morkot, R. G. (2003). The A to Z of Egyptian Warfare. Lanham, Maryland, USA: The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group.

Padrusch, D. (Ed.). (2010). B.C. Batttles: Raging Chariots History Channel.

Partridge, R. (2007, Febuary). Ancient Discoveries, Egyptian Warfare. A& E Ancient Discovers . USA.

Probst, G. F. (1977). The Kikkuli text on the training of horses (ca. 1350 B.C.). Lexington: Keeneland Association Library.

Rawlinson, G. &. (1887). Ancient Egypt. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Richard Gabriel, P. (2010). B.C. Battles: Raging Chariots, History Channel.

Shachner, A. (2007). Ancient Discoveries: Egyptian Warfare.

Tucker, S. (2011). Battles That Changed History: an Encyclopedia of World Conflict. Santa Barbara, CA, USA: Santa Barbara ABC-CLIO.

Weingartner, S. (n.d.).

Show More
Related

  • George Washington Classical Sun Tzu Strategist and Master in the Art of War

    1772 Words  | 4 Pages

    Sun Tzu. The Art of War. Translated by Samuel B. Griffith. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1963.

    Read More

  • Where Men Win Glory, by Jon Krakauer

    1088 Words  | 3 Pages

    War is the means to many ends. The ends of ruthless dictators, of land disputes, and lives – each play its part in the reasoning for war. War is controllable. It can be avoided; however, once it begins, the bat...

    Read More

  • Battle Of 73 Eastings Battle Analysis

    1918 Words  | 4 Pages

    In this paper, I will provide a Battle Analysis and outline the events leading up to and surrounding the Battle of 73 Eastings (refers to a north-south grid line). In addition, I will describe how the United States Army’s (USA) 2nd Armored Calvary Regiment (ACR) defeated forces from the Iraqi Republican Guard (IRG) using speed, technology and superior combat power. Although some consider the Battle of 73 Eastings extremely successful, some consider it a failure due to the large amount of Iraqi forces that retreated towards Bagdad. Lastly, I will analyze how each side used their intelligence assets and what they could have used to change the outcome.

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis of James Albert Michener’s Novel Tales from the South Pacific

    2509 Words  | 6 Pages

    McGuigan, Cathleen. "Theater Of War." Newsweek 151.14 (2008): 52-53. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 28 Mar. 2010.

    Read More

  • Egypt before Imperialism

    892 Words  | 2 Pages

    Egypt has one of the longest histories of any nation in the world. Written history of Egypt dates back to about 5,000 years, the commencement of civilization. While there is divergence in relation to Early Egyptian times, it is said that Egypt came to be around 3200 B.C., during the reign of a king by the name of Menes and unified the northern and southern cities of Egypt into one government. In 1675 B.C., Egypt was invaded by the Hyksos, people from the east, bringing along the very first of chariots and horses ever to come across Egyptian soil. Approximately 175 years later in 1500 B.C., the Egyptians had gotten rid of the Hyksos and driven them out. In 1375 B.C., Amenhotep IV had become the king of Egypt. During his reign he eliminated the worship of Egyptian gods and initiated the idea of only worshipping one god. But after his death, his ideas were retired and old ways were reestablished. Egyptian supremacy then started to decline around 1000 B.C. Between 1000 B.C. and 332 B.C., Egypt was ruled by many such as the Libyans, Assyrians, Ethiopians, and Persians. In 640, Muslims conquered Egypt and founded the city of Cairo in 969 and deemed it as the capital of Egypt. For many centuries Egypt was ruled by Muslim caliphs. A prominent ruler of this period was Saladin, who battled the Christian Crusaders at the conclusion of the twelfth century. In 1798 Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt but was then forced to withdraw in 1801 Turkish and British armed forces. In 1805 Mohamed Ali began ruling Egypt till 1848 and great changed the country in terms of modernization and its military. During Mohamed’s conquest, he borrowed a lot of money from the French and British, which later resulted in Egypt’s coloniza...

    Read More

  • Sun Tzu's Impact on Historical Warfare Strategies

    2372 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Art of War is a treatise written in Ancient China that discusses the most and least effective military strategies for successful warfare according to Sun Tzu, a military general whose existence is still debated to this day. While not every military commander in the history of warfare has read it, the strategies provided can be used as a way to assess said commanders and the effectiveness of their campaigns. In Sun Tzu 's own words, “The general that hearkens to my counsel and acts upon it, will conquer: let such a one be retained in command! The general that hearkens not to my counsel nor acts upon it, will suffer defeat:--let such a one be dismissed!”1 This paper will discuss various iconic battles throughout history and how closely the leading commanders of each army followed the advice of Sun Tzu. Despite the fact that Sun Tzu lived hundreds of years before many of these battles took place, the

    Read More

  • The Mexican Revolution

    1250 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Web. The Web. 23 Nov. 2013. This website gives information on events and battles that happened at the time. The "Untitled Document" is now available.

    Read More

  • Death and Afterlife in Ancient Egyptian Society and the Mesopotamian Society

    738 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hause, S., & Maltby, W. (2001). The Ancient Near East: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Phoenicia and Israel. Essentials of Western Civilization (pp.7-15). California: Wadsworth.

    Read More

  • The Battle of Okinawa Analysis

    1878 Words  | 4 Pages

    "The Internet Classics Archive | The Art of War by Sun Tzu." The Internet Classics Archive | The Art of War by Sun Tzu. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Mar. 2014. .

    Read More

  • The Battle of Yorktown

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lanning, M. L. (2005). The History Place - Top Ten Battles of All Time. Retrieved from http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/topten/

    Read More

  • The Military Revolution In History

    1284 Words  | 3 Pages

    “In July 1945, the first atomic bomb was tested in New Mexico and the next month the second and third weapons off the production line were dropped on Japan. Since then no nuclear weapons have been used in anger, although tens of thousands have been accumulated by the major powers and their destructiveness and sophistication increased immensely.” The nature of warfare is constant and evolved from multiple factors and military revolutions over time. The purpose of this paper is to identify the most important military revolution in history and highlight its effects that permeate modern day society. The proliferation of nuclear weapons is the most significant military revolution that led to the greatest changes in warfare, which include the immergence of new threats such as non-state actors, the shift from total war to low intensity conflict, and the importance of technology and innovation. This military revolution completely shattered existing paradigms of warfare due to the real threat of nuclear weapons’ total destruction of humanity.

    Read More

  • Impact Of The Hyksos On The Development Of New Kingdom Egypt

    1032 Words  | 3 Pages

    ‘The Hyksos forced Egyptian Pharaohs to look beyond their own borders, and involve themselves in the affairs and lives of their neighbor’s’ Through the notion of looking beyond their own borders, the necessity of constant battles was not only to expand but also protect Egypt’s borders, this eventually led to the image of the ‘Warrior Pharaoh’. Egypt became the pre-eminent power in the east due to talented civil, military and religious bureaucracies. The Hyksos ‘encouraged new nationalism and patriotism’ this could be seen through formation of administration, stable rule, gods and building externally while taking on board the establishment of the extensive diplomatic and trading contacts with the eastern Mediterranean region and Nubia. The economic influences created by the Hyksos include various influences that furthermore excelled New Kingdom Egypt to be a greater society. The ‘foreign rulers’ introduced olive and pomegranate trees as well as domesticated cattle to the agricultural practices to Egyptian society.

    Read More

  • The Effects of Powered Flight on War

    2337 Words  | 5 Pages

    Williams, John. "Chapter 8." World Atlas of Weapons & War. London: Aldus, 1976. 96-111. Print.

    Read More

  • Summary Of The Art Of War By Sun Tzu

    956 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sun Tzu was a Chinese military general but most importantly a philosopher that lived in the 6th century BC. He is the author of The Art of War, a book about military strategy. The Art of war contains thirteen chapters all delivering keys to military strategy for success. It is a famous work of art that is used nowadays in many fields including business, sport and diplomacy. Business leaders develop strategies inspired form Sun Tzu ideas to reach their goals.

    Read More

  • Negative Effects Of War Essay

    850 Words  | 2 Pages

    War has been around for centuries. From the time modern civilizations began, war has played an integral part in human history. It shaped the world into the modern world we live in. War has been said to be a great motivator, for example, the Great Wall of China was built to fend off the attackers from the north. However, the negative aspects of war far outweighs any positive effects it might have. The destruction of civilizations, cities and countries, mass killings of men, woman and children alike, the disastrous effect it has on economy and the after effects of war can last for centuries.

    Read More

More about A Comparison of Warfare of Between The Ancient Egyptian and Hittites

Open Document