The kings trusted their relatives or nobles to look after the numerous remote mountain valleys. Thus, the Hittite kingdom was formed from small semi-independent principalities. From time to time, some of them fell away, but the formidable rulers of Hattusa found ways to once again subjugate them to their power.
At first glance, the Hittite kingdom seemed weaker than its neighbors; historians even write that it was "loose", poorly organized. However, the state of the Hittites perfectly withstood military clashes with strong rivals. For four and a half centuries of its history (1650-1200 BC), it has not lost a single confrontation; only in the last period of the existence of the state (1265-1200 BC) did the Hittites cede part of their territory to powerful Assyria. And here is a far from complete list of major military and political successes of the Hittites.
In 1595 BC King Mursili I captures and destroys Babylon, acquiring huge booty. Around 1400 B.C. another Hittite king, Suppiluliuma I, defeated the powerful kingdom of Mitanni; establishes its control over the upper Euphrates and Northern Syria. Finally, in 1312 BC. (according to other sources, in 1286 BC), the Hittite king Muwatalli, who led the thirty-thousandth army, near the Syrian city of Kadesh lured the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II into a trap with a large military detachment. Almost all Egyptians were destroyed; only the pharaoh escaped with a small guard (see the article "Military Affairs of the Ancient East"). The Hittites successfully fought off neighboring semi-savage peoples, such as the Casques, who pressed on their borders.
What is the secret of the power of the Hittite kingdom? You can find out the "military secret" by looking at the structure of the Hittite society and state.
Due to the presence of ore deposits and forests in Asia Minor, the Hittites had plenty of metals and wood, in contrast to the states located in the valleys of large rivers. The Hittites refused the mediation of Assyrian and Babylonian merchants and enjoyed the benefits of nature on their own.
