War and Peace: analysis of the Egyptian presence in the Levant during the 18th dynasty

Thesis

This thesis investigates the establishment of the Egyptian “Empire” in the Levant at the beginning of the Late Bronze Age, and aims at reconstructing the reasons that brought Thutmose III and its successors to conquer and control the region. This reconstruction is based upon an analysis of their military actions, namely their campaigns and the development of a network of installations able to logistically support the army in enemy territory. Given the scattered nature of the sources, written and archaeological evidence are used in concert, and the subject at hand is seen through the new and different perspectives of modern military theory. In this way, there emerges a picture of a complex and calculated Egyptian effort, aimed at developing and controlling a buffer state in the region. In particular, it is argued that the Egyptian efforts appear to have been specifically designed to respond to the socio-political characteristics of each area they entered, and to the mutation of the objectives through time. Such an adaptability has been hitherto unrecognized, and opens new avenues in the study of the Levant under the Egyptian occupation.

Authors: De Magistris, FI

• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: military theory; 18th dynasty; Levant; grand strategy
• Subjects: Thutmose; Middle East