The Gallipoli Campaign

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The Gallipoli Campaign
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Russia was fighting Germany Austria Hungary on
the Eastern Front
The Campaign
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.
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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

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• 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

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• 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

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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.
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• 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

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A difficult Landing. Why ?
Using the photo as an historical source, prepare
a list of five historical facts about the
Gallipoli campaign.
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Turkish troops in waiting at Gallipoli
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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.
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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
  Hamiltons inability to coordinate and direct the
  scattered landings

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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

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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