The history of human civilization is the history of wars. One can hardly argue with this statement. Of course, the ancients not only fought, but built cities and temples, plowed the land and raised cattle, created magnificent handicrafts. But the war was also a common, everyday thing. The seizure of someone else's property, livestock, slaves was considered by many peoples not only as one of the types of craft, but also an honorable occupation. With the emergence of the first civilizations, an increasing number of political problems began to be solved by military means. This is an increase in subordinate territories, and ensuring the security of trade routes and state borders, and, of course, enrichment.
The tendency to create more and more large state formations began to manifest itself already at the initial stages of the development of early civilizations. But only in the II millennium BC. e. individual civilizations tried to extend permanent power beyond their natural boundaries, which was one of the hallmarks of imperial state policy and ideology. These included the Hittite civilization. The Hittite state, one of the first examples of a structured class society, existed for nearly six centuries and fell under the swords of foreigners. Then in the 1st millennium BC. e. military empires such as Assyrian and Persian appear. But much of their success was based on the achievements of the Hittites. Among these achievements, in the first place is the use of iron weapons,superior in quality to the then well-known weapons of bronze - an alloy of copper with other metals. The use of horses and war chariots, the creation of a professional army capable of waging constant wars of conquest, became another contribution of the Hittites to the treasury of world civilization. Finally, the very organization of the state, not always successful, was also taken into account by subsequent reformers. We can say that the Hittites were the first to conduct a grandiose experiment - they founded a state that united different peoples by force of military might. We can say that the Hittites were the first to conduct a grandiose experiment - they founded a state that united different peoples by force of military might. We can say that the Hittites were the first to conduct a grandiose experiment - they founded a state that united different peoples by force of military might.
The Hittite civilization took shape in the center of Asia Minor in the first half of the 2nd millennium BC. e. In a turbulent era, when the East was shocked by the conquest of Egypt by the Hyksos, Babylonia by the Kassites, when it seemed that these great civilizations were crumbling, the Hittites, thanks to their military superiority, united the Asia Minor, Syrian and Upper Mesopotamian regions under their rule, creating a military civilization here.
Hittite map. Hittite state.
Anatolia is the central part of Asia Minor, where the ancient Hittite civilization arose, differed in its natural conditions from other centers of early civilizations, such as the Nile River valley or Mesopotamia. This country was a mountain plateau covered with sparse steppe vegetation, suitable only for grazing sheep and goats. Only small plains in the foothills were suitable for the development of an economy with fields and pastures. They were abundantly supplied with water from turbulent mountain rivers, which, although they played an important role in economic life, did not become the creators of civilization, like the rivers of Egypt and Mesopotamia. They were inconvenient for shipping and artificial irrigation. The valleys in the foothills were divided by mountain ranges, and each of them was a self-sufficient separate area.
In these valleys in the VIII-IV millennia BC. e. centers of early agricultural cultures arose, where people were engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding, built durable houses, made elegant painted ceramic products. Household life and applied arts have reached a fairly high level here. This is evidenced by the excavations of such settlements of that time as Chatal-Huyuk and Hadjilar, which were large and well-equipped agricultural centers. But the lack of land, a motley ethnic composition and a rather high population density led to conflicts and inter-tribal clashes. During the excavations of many settlements of the VI-IV millennia BC. e. traces of destruction and fires were found.
The natural conditions of ancient Anatolia did not provide opportunities for the rapid development of civilization. Progress in agriculture and the social sphere was slow, mainly under the influence of neighboring highly developed cultures. But in the III millennium BC. e. the inhabitants of Asia Minor suddenly became one of the most advanced peoples. The main event of that era was the rapid rise in handicraft production, mainly in metallurgy and metalworking, as well as in jewelry. The fact is that the mountainous regions were not only rich in forests, but also stored metals in their depths: copper, silver, lead, iron. Stone, cedar, wood and iron were the natural wealth of the Hittite land. And Asia Minor craftsmen began to specialize in the manufacture of weapons and armor - they made swords, daggers, battle axes, helmets. Here is the II millennium BC. e.the Hittites were the first to invent the method of processing iron and became monopolists in its production. This brought them considerable income. Iron was 40 times more expensive than silver and 5-8 times more expensive than gold. The Hittite rulers strictly guarded the monopoly of iron making, and the tribes kept secret the areas of its deposits.
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The emergence of city-states in Asia Minor is another significant phenomenon in the development of civilization. These fortified points became the centers of the economic, political and cultural life of local peoples. In some city-states, colonies of foreign traders appeared, mainly from Mesopotamia and Northern Syria. The colony, or as it was called, the port, was headed by the "house of the city." Eastern merchants supplied the tin necessary for the manufacture of high-grade bronze, in the production of which everyone was interested, for iron still remained a precious metal. Exquisite fabrics and tunics were also imported. All these goods were delivered to Anatolia by donkey caravans from Damascus. Trade played an important role in the formation of the Hittite civilization. Almost the entire population of Anatolia was involved in it. The wealth of the leaders grew and the differences in the distribution of wealth between the tribes, which began to turn their settlements into fortresses.
The diversity of the ethnic composition of Anatolia also contributed to the consolidation of military power in the city-states. Along with the most ancient population - the Hutts (or Proto-Hittites), who spoke languages probably related to the languages of the modern peoples of the Caucasus, the Hurri tribes lived here. At the turn of the III-II millennium BC. e. such states of these tribes as Puruskhanda, Kussara, Hattusas, Kanish and others were known. Between them there was a constant struggle for political hegemony. Initially, the city of Purus Khanda played the leading role. Later, the situation changed in favor of Kussara. In the 18th century. BC e. its rulers - Pithana and Anitta, pursuing a policy of conquest, conquered Puruskhanda and created a powerful political union - the Kussar kingdom, which later grew into the Hatti state.
The civilization was located on the territory of the countries of the modern world: Turkey, Lebanon, Syria.