Muwatallish had sent the force to test the strength of the armies of Egypt. The Egyptian Re Division was surprised by a small Hittite chariot force that had just forded the Orontes River. The chariot force chased after the scattered Re Division, straight into the Amun military camp. This Hittite force now had a chance to destroy Ramesses II himself. A distressed Re Division dashed into the Amun camp and created confusion among their fellow soldiers. The Hittites followed closely behind and surrounded the camp. They closed the circle inward, dispelling the unprepared soldiers from the tents. Ramesses II watched his plans to control his Kadesh fall apart around him as his enemies closed in. How did it come down to this?

Few single battles in the history have determined the most powerful empire in the world; the Battle of Kadesh was one. Control over the Mediterranean, trade routes, large stretches of land, and massive populations that could be mobilized for war all hung in the balance. In the period from 2000 B.C. to 1200 B.C. the indisputable most powerful civilizations in the world were the Egyptians, the Hittites, and the Assyrians. Secondary players in the same region were Amurru, a kingdom of united lands in coastal and central Syria; Canaan, the coastal land south of the Orontes River; the Hurrians of Mitanni in the east; and Babylonia. Whoever could maintain favorable relations with them or could directly control them would have a major advantage over the others. As rapid expansion of all three civilizations came to a head, there emerged border disputes. All eyes eventually turned to the narrow strip of land that connected Asia, Europe, and Africa, where civilizations incorporated the rich networks of trade from east and west.