The Gallipoli Campaign

Russia was fighting Germany & Austria Hungary on the Eastern Front The Campaign Russia was fighting Germany & Austria Hungary on the Eastern Front Britain and France were facing Germany on the Western Front Turkey was supporting Germany British and French agreed to land troops on the Gallipoli peninsula separating Europe from Asia. The aim was to move the troops overland and capture Constantinople. Controlling the Dardanelles would enable allied ships to provide supplies to Russia and put more pressure on the Eastern front. It might also take Turkey out of the War. Ships alone had failed to take the Dardanelles, a landing was now decided on.

Losing the Advantage of Surprise The Allied attempt to knock out Turkey began on Feb 19 1915. The initial plan, initially proposed by British First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill called for the Allied fleet to force the Dardanelles, take Constantinople and offer peace terms to the Ottomans

Sixteen battleships provided the fire, however three battleships were sunk in an undetected minefield and three others were disabled. The Turks had expended their ammunition and many of there batteries had been destroyed, however the allies had no knowledge of this Admiral Robeck called off the attack and withdrew his ships

Meanwhile the Allies had hastily assembled a force of 78,000 men . The Australian and New Zealand Troops had left for Europe , but been transferred to training camps in Egypt under the shadow of the Pyramids While still training in the Egyptian desert late in 1914, the 1st Australian Division and the New Zealand and Australian Division (NZ and A Division) (which later included the 1st Light Horse Brigade) were formed into the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), under the command of Lieutenant General William R (Field Marshal, the Lord) Birdwood

Affectionately known as 'Birdy' by the Australian troops, Sir William Birdwood (1865-1951) led the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps - the ANZACs - from 1914 almost to the end of the war in 1918, during which time Birdwood himself received numerous promotions, despite antipathy from the British Commander in Chief, Sir Douglas Haig.

As the flotilla of ships gathered at the Peninsula under Commanding General Ian Hamilton it was discovered that the guns and ammunition had been placed on the non landing transport ships. Hamilton was forced to detour to Egypt to pick up the ammunition supplies Alerted to their campaign , the Turks used the months delay to improve their defenses Some 60,000 Turkish troops under the German general Otto Von Sanders, waited for the Allies

A difficult Landing. Why ? Using the photo as an historical source, prepare a list of five historical facts about the Gallipoli campaign.

Turkish troops in waiting at Gallipoli

Terrible Mistakes The exact events and decisions made are controversial to this day, but it is clear that not enough use was made of intelligence regarding the landscape and topography of the peninsula, and the enemy's positions and preparedness. This resulted in the ANZACs being landed on the wrong beach, and being forced to fight inland up a steep eroded slope to high ground held by an enemy who was already dug in, with predictably high casualties.

Importance of Intelligence Historians still debate today whether the Anzacs were landed at the correct place. Most people believe currents or a mistake by the navigators took them 1km too far north. However others argue that the landing at Ari Barnu was deliberate. Although the area was rugged , it was thought to be more lightly defended Although the troops came ashore, they were soon pinned down in several unconnected beachheads, stopped by a combination of Turkish defense and Hamilton’s inability to coordinate and direct the scattered landings

The Achievements of the 25th April The objective was to land the 1,500 troops and to secure the beach and seize the high ground of Gun Ridge. Control of this high ground was vital for later landings The Second wave of landings, 21,000 troops would be sent ashore to move inland under their protection Unfortunately the rugged steep cliffs and excellent cover by Turkish snipers foiled their objectives

A Question of Failure These traditional explanations for Allied failure are, by and large, the following 1. That Lord Kitchener (Secretary of State for War), the War Office, and the government in Britain, did not supply Gallipoli campaign with enough men munitions and often delayed too long before shipping. 2. That many of the senior Allied officers appointed were of poor quality. 3. That the Ottoman government poured in as many divisions as were necessary to defend the Gallipoli area. 4. That there was a lack of surprise in the Allied landings of 25 April and that the army and navy did not attack together on 18 March 1915