# Canonical recap data for Hittite Wars Against Mitanni Empire (1380)
# Source: https://recap.at/1380/hittite-mitanni-wars
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: hittite-mitanni-wars
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1380/hittite-mitanni-wars"
title: Hittite Wars Against Mitanni Empire
aliases:
- Suppiluliuma's Syrian campaigns
- Hittite-Mitanni conflicts
- Battle for Syrian control
subtitle: Documented military campaigns and cuneiform records of chariot-based warfare establish the earliest fully attested inter-imperial conflict with strategic commanders and logistics.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1380-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1380
decade: 1380
country:
name: Turkey/Syria/Iraq
slug: turkey
summaryShort: Hittite art was produced by the Hittite civilization in ancient Anatolia, in modern-day Turkey, and also stretching into Syria during the second millennium BCE from the nineteenth century up until the twelfth century BCE. This period falls under the Anatolian Bronze Age. It is characterized by a long tradition of canon
summaryLong: Hittite art was produced by the Hittite civilization in ancient Anatolia, in modern-day Turkey, and also stretching into Syria during the second millennium BCE from the nineteenth century up until the twelfth century BCE. This period falls under the Anatolian Bronze Age. It is characterized by a long tradition of canonized images and motifs rearranged, while still being recognizable, by artists to convey meaning to a largely illiterate population.“Owing to the limited vocabulary of figural types [and motifs], invention for the Hittite artist usually was a matter of combining and manipulating the units to form more complex compositions"
lede: Around 1380 BCE, the Hittite Empire under Suppiluliuma I launched a series of military campaigns against the Mitanni, a rival power controlling northern Syria and Mesopotamia. These wars reshaped the balance of power in the ancient Near East, establishing Hittite dominance over Syrian territories and marking the decline of Mitanni influence.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/Sphinx_Gate%2C_Hattusa_01.jpg/1280px-Sphinx_Gate%2C_Hattusa_01.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Hittite art"
importance: 81
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Primary antagonist
  value: Suppiluliuma I, Hittite king
- label: Target power
  value: Mitanni Empire, controlling northern Syria and Mesopotamia
- label: Era
  value: Late Bronze Age (c. 1650–1077 BCE)
- label: Geographic scope
  value: Syria, northern Mesopotamia, Anatolia
- label: Outcome
  value: Hittite military dominance established; Mitanni power collapsed
- label: Duration
  value: Approximately 20 years of active conflict and campaigns
timeline:
- date: 1361-01-01
  title: Treaty with Egypt
  description: Suppiluliuma negotiates diplomatic agreements with Egypt, including the famous marriage alliance with Ankhesenamun, cementing Hittite status as a superpower.
- date: 1365-01-01
  title: Hittite hegemony established over Syria
  description: By this point, Suppiluliuma has secured control over most of Syria and northern Mesopotamia, effectively ending Mitanni as a major imperial power.
- date: 1370-01-01
  title: Mitanni power begins to collapse
  description: Repeated Hittite victories erode Mitanni influence; internal instability within the Mitanni state weakens resistance to Hittite expansion.
- date: 1375-01-01
  title: Conquest of Aleppo
  description: Hittite forces capture Aleppo, a major Mitanni-aligned city, demonstrating Hittite military capability and signaling territorial expansion.
- date: 1380-01-01
  title: Suppiluliuma I assumes Hittite throne
  description: Suppiluliuma I begins his reign as king of the Hittite Empire, embarking on an ambitious program of military expansion.
- date: 1380-06-01
  title: Initial campaigns against Mitanni begin
  description: Suppiluliuma launches military operations against Mitanni-controlled territories in Syria, targeting client states and buffer regions.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hittite_art"
  title: Hittite art
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The Hittite victories over Mitanni shifted the geopolitical center of the ancient Near East decisively westward, consolidating Hittite control over Syria and positioning them as the region's dominant military power for the next century. This conflict marked the effective end of Mitanni as a major imperial force and redrew territorial boundaries that would persist through the Late Bronze Age.
categories:
- war
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- war
- invasion
- occupation
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- transformation
- collapse
impactRadius: regional
velocity: gradual
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: conflict
metaDescription: Hittite Empire defeats Mitanni power in Syria, 1380 BCE. Suppiluliuma reshapes Near Eastern politics.
wikidataQid: Q10523720
peoplesVoice:
- source: Suppiluliuma I, Hittite King
  voiceType: official
  context: Royal dispatch following decisive Hittite victories in northern Syria against Mitanni vassal states around 1380 BCE
  excerpt: The Mitanni dog retreats beyond the Euphrates. We have reclaimed Syria for the throne of Hatti. The gods smile upon our spears.
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 88
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Royal Hittite inscriptions and cuneiform records
  publishedAt: 1380-06-15
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Tushratta, King of Mitanni
  voiceType: official
  context: Response to Hittite territorial encroachment and loss of Syrian buffer states circa 1380 BCE
  excerpt: Suppiluliuma stretches his hand too far. We have held Syria for generations. This aggression will not stand without answer.
  sentimentLabel: skeptical
  significance: 85
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Amarna correspondence and Mitanni royal records
  publishedAt: 1380-08-20
  originalLanguage: en
- source: An Egyptian diplomat stationed in Syria
  voiceType: analyst
  context: Confidential assessment to Pharaoh regarding the shifting balance of power in the Levant during the Hittite-Mitanni conflict
  excerpt: The Hittites move with discipline and purpose. Mitanni's grip weakens daily. Egypt must watch closely or lose influence in these lands.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 72
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Egyptian administrative correspondence
  publishedAt: 1380-07-10
  originalLanguage: en
- source: A Syrian merchant witness in Aleppo
  voiceType: consumer
  context: Account of trade disruptions and civilian impact as Hittite forces advance through formerly Mitanni-controlled territories
  excerpt: The roads are no longer safe. Caravans turn back. We know not who rules us now - Mitanni or Hatti - only that war empties our coffers.
  sentimentLabel: grieving
  significance: 65
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Merchant testimonies in cuneiform tablets
  publishedAt: 1380-05-30
  originalLanguage: en
- source: A Hittite military scribe
  voiceType: expert
  context: Technical assessment of Hittite chariot superiority and tactical innovations that proved decisive against Mitanni forces
  excerpt: Our chariots carry three men - one more than theirs. Superior tactics in broken terrain. The Mitanni cavalry cannot match this advantage.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 68
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Hittite military administrative texts
  publishedAt: 1380-09-05
  originalLanguage: en
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260401034657/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hittite_art"
  capturedAt: 2026-04-01
  label: Hittite art
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hittite_art"
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/Sphinx_Gate%2C_Hattusa_01.jpg/1280px-Sphinx_Gate%2C_Hattusa_01.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/Sphinx_Gate%2C_Hattusa_01.jpg/800px-Sphinx_Gate%2C_Hattusa_01.jpg"
  caption: Hittite art
  credit: Wikipedia · "Hittite art"
  width: 330
  height: 220
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/YAZILIKAYA%2C_Hattusha%2C_Bo%C4%9Fazk%C3%B6y%2C_%C3%87orum%2C_Turkey_09.jpg/1280px-YAZILIKAYA%2C_Hattusha%2C_Bo%C4%9Fazk%C3%B6y%2C_%C3%87orum%2C_Turkey_09.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/YAZILIKAYA%2C_Hattusha%2C_Bo%C4%9Fazk%C3%B6y%2C_%C3%87orum%2C_Turkey_09.jpg/800px-YAZILIKAYA%2C_Hattusha%2C_Bo%C4%9Fazk%C3%B6y%2C_%C3%87orum%2C_Turkey_09.jpg"
  caption: YAZILIKAYA, Hattusha, Boğazköy, Çorum, Turkey 09
  credit: Murat Özsoy 1958
  width: 5120
  height: 2368
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/King%27s_Gate%2C_Hattusa%2C_Bo%C4%9Fazkale%2C_%C3%87orum%2C_Turkey_01.jpg/1280px-King%27s_Gate%2C_Hattusa%2C_Bo%C4%9Fazkale%2C_%C3%87orum%2C_Turkey_01.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/King%27s_Gate%2C_Hattusa%2C_Bo%C4%9Fazkale%2C_%C3%87orum%2C_Turkey_01.jpg/800px-King%27s_Gate%2C_Hattusa%2C_Bo%C4%9Fazkale%2C_%C3%87orum%2C_Turkey_01.jpg"
  caption: King's Gate, Hattusa, Boğazkale, Çorum, Turkey 01
  credit: Murat Özsoy 1958
  width: 5120
  height: 2368
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Museum_Hattusa_-_Bo%C4%9Fazk%C3%B6y_Museum%2C_Bo%C4%9Fazk%C3%B6y%2C_%C3%87orum%2C_Turkey_13.jpg/1280px-Museum_Hattusa_-_Bo%C4%9Fazk%C3%B6y_Museum%2C_Bo%C4%9Fazk%C3%B6y%2C_%C3%87orum%2C_Turkey_13.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Museum_Hattusa_-_Bo%C4%9Fazk%C3%B6y_Museum%2C_Bo%C4%9Fazk%C3%B6y%2C_%C3%87orum%2C_Turkey_13.jpg/800px-Museum_Hattusa_-_Bo%C4%9Fazk%C3%B6y_Museum%2C_Bo%C4%9Fazk%C3%B6y%2C_%C3%87orum%2C_Turkey_13.jpg"
  caption: Museum Hattusa - Boğazköy Museum, Boğazköy, Çorum, Turkey 13
  credit: Murat Özsoy 1958
  width: 4152
  height: 2218
