Long before the advent of mass media and live coverage, conflict – and the diplomacy that often follows after it – was only documented through art and poetry propagandized by each ruler. The Battle of Kadesh was a culmination of decades worth of conflict between ancient Egypt and the Hittites, exacerbated by the Hittites’ capture of Kadesh from Egypt. Ramesses II, a famed New Kingdom ruler who had been revitalizing Egypt’s authority through conquests and expansions, set his sights on Kadesh (in modern-day Syria) in 1275 BCE, and bid to conquer it against King Muwatalli II of the Hittites. It was the largest recorded chariot battle in history, with a total of 6,000 chariots deployed in the war. Strategically, both sides acknowledged the Hittites’ upper hand at the start due to a rash decision by Ramesses to push ahead of his primary army with 20,000 infantry and 2,000 chariots – as recommended by Hittite double agents. Upon reaching Kadesh, Ramesses was ambushed by 40,000 Hittite infantry and 3,000 chariots, an onslaught that steered the tides of war in favor of Muwatalli. Despite being outnumbered, Ramesses’ chariots eventually brought balance to…
