o It resulted in one of the world’s earliest peace treaties whose
full terms have survived.o It affected the course of ancient Near Eastern history
for centuries.o It formed the cornerstone of the reputation of one of Egypt’s
most famous pharaohs.The Opponents
x Ramesses II was 29 years old and had ascended to the throne of
Egypt during the period known as the New Kingdom, when Egypt
became an imperialist power that sought to extend its sphere of
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along the Mediterranean coast.
x Ramesses’s father, Seti I, pursued an aggressively expansionist
policy, personally leading several large military expeditions,
crushing a coalition of Canaanite princes to conquer Palestine, and
pushing north into Lebanon. Yet Kadesh had slipped from his grasp
into alliance with the Hittites.x Ramesses was eager to establish his own reputation as a great
military pharaoh, and he already showed signs of being a
charismatic leader and a competent strategist. For example, as soon
as he gained the throne, he began to build up the army and establish
forward bases that would provide essential logistical support for
any major campaigns.x Muwatalli, Ramesses’s Hittite opponent, was not originally
intended to inherit the Hittite throne; he became king after his older
brother died. Muwatalli’s father had fought against Seti; thus, the
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generational aspect.