Hittites pull an ottoman after bronze age collapse

[octoberman]

Hittites survive the bronze age collapse by defeating the sea peoples and subduing the kaskas. Hittites create a near monopoly on iron. They conquer Egypt, Mesopotamia, Caucasus, Levant and Grecce emerging as the strongest power in world

 

[Flashman]

It's certainly plausible, they would be comparable in size to the other empires of the the Early Iron Age middle east. As to what the results are? Hard to say, other than that you've butterflied the entire history of the Middle East and therefore the world.

It probably doesn't last super long, none of the Early Iron Age empires did. They'll fall apart, and the mantle will fall to another power. Might cycle back to the Hittites a few times, as simply sticking it out will probably ensure their culture sticks around for a few more centuries.

Their monopoly on iron will not last very long, that will only be a decisive edge for a little bit. '

Obvious change is that Greece is pulled into the eastern world much sooner, and its dark ages are cut short if it happens at all. Not sure what the impact of this is - the geography of Greece leads me to think that it will always be peripheral to some extent, and it will go down a similar path of development. Still, a more vigorous contact and exchange for such a long time is sure to have huge effects.

It will also butterfly Yahwism/Israelism/Hebraisim/Judaism as we know it. It's interesting to look at it look this: The central conflict of Israelite pre-History that probably led to its development was the conflict between the Hittites and the Egyptians in the land of Canaan. That being sustained could lead to the perpetuation of more ancient tendencies of the religion.

 

[Oracle of Sobek 𓆋]

They have more to overcome than Sea Peoples and Kaskas, or Phrygians for that matter. The late Hittite Empire was very decentralized, with rival dynastic power bases emerging in Tarhuntassa and at Kargamish. This fragmentation was not helped by the droughts, cold snaps, and nigh inevitable famines that followed. I'm not saying a Hittite renaissance isn't possible, but it's probably not going to happen in the context of the Bronze Age Collapse. More plausible, I think, is an early Iron Age Neo-Hittite empire - probably based in Syria rather than Anatolia, and more Luwian and Aramaic than "Nesite" in character - that fills the niche of OTL's Neo-Assyrian Empire in a context where the Assyrian kingdom itself has been nerfed.

 

[Kerney]

Part of the reason it is the Iron age is that knowledge of Iron tech is spreading and undermining the old chariot based bronze aged empires. You can arm 1000 people with initially inferior but cheaper iron weapons for every 100 you arm in bronze and every ten you put in a chariot.

Add to this climate change, soil exhaustion and a hundred little things, and basically my answer is, it's more complicated than extending the Hittite advantage in Iron weapons.

 

[Tosa Inu]

Did Hittite Horses already grew large enough to be ridden by a full grown man, instead of being pony-sized that limit their usages to Chariots?

If they are, it's possible, as Horse Riding was the fastest way to sent messages (and messangers) across long distances, as it opened the way to properly communicate despite the relatively long distance.

If they were still middle eastern ponies of their time... Then it would be much harder to maintain that kind of Empire without it located on a single system of waterways, like the Egyptians.

Yes Chariots are arguably fast enough... But they are unsuitable for riding in rough terrain, and easier to actually get stuck.

 

[octoberman]

If they are, it's possible, as Horse Riding was the fastest way to sent messages (and messangers) across long distances, as it opened the way to properly communicate despite the relatively long distance.

If they were still middle eastern ponies of their time... Then it would be much harder to maintain that kind of Empire without it located on a single system of waterways, like the Egyptians.

Yes Chariots are arguably fast enough... But they are unsuitable for riding in rough terrain, and easier to actually get stuck.

pigeon mail

 

[Hearkener]

It will also butterfly Yahwism/Israelism/Hebraisim/Judaism as we know it. It's interesting to look at it look this: The central conflict of Israelite pre-History that probably led to its development was the conflict between the Hittites and the Egyptians in the land of Canaan. That being sustained could lead to the perpetuation of more ancient tendencies of the religion.

There won't be much of a contest. Third Intermediate Period Egypt is an absolute pushover, internally divided and incapably of power projection. A strong Hittite Empire could probably just march its army all the way to Assuan. Asarhaddon conquered Egypt relatively easily, and that was at a time when Egypt was more or less united during the 25th dynasty.

 

[Domz]

Is this even possible, though I have to ask? Could chariots have done it? The technologies used by the Ottomans/Seljuk Turks were way different than what they used in the Ancient period. I do accept that I might be biased towards an exceptionalist framework (for early civilizations).

 

[octoberman]

Is this even possible, though I have to ask? Could chariots have done it? The technologies used by the Ottomans/Seljuk Turks were way different than what they used in the Ancient period. I do accept that I might be biased towards an exceptionalist framework (for early civilizations).

pigeon mail