Battle of Kadesh
1274 BCE · Orontes River, Syria
The Battle of Kadesh was fought in 1274 BCE in Orontes River, Syria between New Kingdom of Egypt vs the Hittite Empire; inconclusive; both sides claimed victory and it led to the earliest known surviving peace treaty.
Battle of Kadesh: quick facts
- Date
- 1274 BCE
- Location
- Orontes River, Syria
- Belligerents
- New Kingdom of Egypt vs the Hittite Empire
- Commanders
- Ramesses II vs Muwatalli II
- Result
- inconclusive; both sides claimed victory and it led to the earliest known surviving peace treaty.
- Era
- 🏛️ Ancient Egypt & Mesopotamia
- Quiz difficulty
- medium
What happened at the Battle of Kadesh?
Ramesses II led his Egyptian army against the Hittite forces of Muwatalli II near the city of Kadesh on the Orontes River. The Egyptians were ambushed when Hittite chariots struck their divided columns, nearly capturing the pharaoh himself. Ramesses rallied his forces and fought to a stalemate. The battle led to the earliest known international peace treaty, the Egyptian-Hittite peace accord.
Did you know?
The Battle of Kadesh produced history's first known peace treaty. A copy of this Egyptian-Hittite treaty hangs in the United Nations headquarters in New York as a symbol of diplomacy.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Kadesh on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.