Compare And Contrast The Military And Political Systems

Compare And Contrast The Military And Political St

Compare and contrast the military and political structure of the Hittites and the Assyrians. What were the strengths and weaknesses of each? What caused their collapse? Your response should be at least 300 words in length.

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The military and political structures of the Hittites and the Assyrians played pivotal roles in shaping their respective civilizations’ strengths and weaknesses, ultimately influencing their rise and fall. The Hittites, emerging around 1600 BCE in Anatolia, developed a centralized monarchic government that combined kingship with a military elite, supporting a formidable army primarily based on chariot warfare and iron weapons. Their political structure was characterized by a somewhat decentralized system with provincial governors, which facilitated efficient control over their territories while allowing local autonomy. This structure contributed significantly to their military success and territorial expansion, but it also posed challenges in maintaining centralized authority during periods of internal strife or external invasion.

In contrast, the Assyrian empire, reaching its peak between the 9th and 7th centuries BCE, exhibited a highly centralized and hierarchical political organization. The Assyrian king was considered a divine figure—an absolute ruler with extensive authority over military campaigns and administrative affairs. Their military was one of the most advanced of its time, featuring professional-standing armies, specialized units, and innovative siege tactics. The Assyrians relied heavily on a well-organized bureaucracy that supported their military endeavors, with provincial governors and officials reporting directly to the king. This centralized military-political framework allowed the Assyrians to conduct rapid military campaigns across a vast empire, but it depended heavily on the strength of the ruler’s authority—its collapse often coincided with internal rebellions and overextension.

Both civilizations had distinct strengths; the Hittites' military was innovative with flexible chariot tactics suited to their terrain, and their political structure allowed regional autonomy that could prevent total collapse; however, their decentralized elements sometimes hampered coordinated responses to invasions, leading to vulnerabilities. The Assyrians' strength lay in their sophisticated bureaucracy, professional armies, and brutal military campaigns that suppressed foes and maintained control over their empire. Nonetheless, their reliance on a strong central authority and military prowess proved to be weaknesses, as overextension and internal rebellions—exacerbated by internal corruption—ultimately caused their decline.

The collapse of the Hittite Empire around 1200 BCE is attributed to a combination of internal strife, external invasions, and the decline of their political cohesion, possibly worsened by the influx of new warrior groups like the Phrygians and the Sea Peoples. The Assyrian Empire, on the other hand, collapsed in 612 BCE due to combined factors such as overextension of military campaigns, internal rebellions, and external pressures from Medes and Babylonians allied against them.

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