The History of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Peninsula saw incredibly brutal slaughter at the onset of World War I as British, French, Australian and New Zealand troops engaged in an 11-month battle with the forces of the Ottoman Empire, now modern-day Turkey.
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Ancient
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Originally a Greek city, then part of the Byzantine Empire, Gallipoli was largely abandoned after a severe earthquake in 1354. Neighboring Turks quickly moved in and the land became a part of the burgeoning Ottoman Empire over the next several centuries. The Empire's allies, the British and French, utilized it as a base during the Crimean War with Russia in the 1850s. The area saw relative peace over the next 60 years until the outbreak of World War I.
Background
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Soon after the outbreak of World War I, Germany and its allies were well-fortified in a long line across Europe. Winston Churchill proposed a plan utilizing the vast power of the British navy. He hoped to gain access by sea past the Gallipoli Peninsula and take the Turkish capital of Constantinople, thus opening a route eastward for the Allies. Even before England had declared war on the Ottoman Empire, the UK began bombarding forts in the area that guarded the narrow passageway. With German support, the Turks fortified defenses and laid minefields that would later play a crucial role.
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Naval
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The Allied attack by sea began on February 19, 1915. British and French forces saw some success with the destruction of forts guarding the outer perimeter of the Gallipoli peninsula but the interior was better-defended by the minefields laid by the Turks. Allied forces made a strong attack against these defenses on March 18, 1915, but the result was embarrassing, with little success and three warships destroyed in the minefields. Originally conceived as strictly a naval effort, the British quickly decided that a full-on military operation was necessary.
Ground
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75,000 men formed the Allied Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. They came from France, England and other parts of the British Empire. Most famous among these is the group known as the ANZACS, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers from down under were the first to hit land on April 25, 1915. The attack plans went seriously awry with general mismanagement and troops landing in the wrong areas. Units were separated and only a few small groups found their original destination. The plan was in such disarray that the British commander, Sir Ian Hamilton, considered retreat and evacuation. This seemed impossible, so the troops dug in, and what became a long, eight-month ground campaign to capture Gallipoli began.
Soldiers existed during this time in miserable conditions with dysentery and other sicknesses rampant. Offensives by both sides left many casualties and rotting corpses everywhere, yet little advantage was gained by either side. The British made the decision to abandon the campaign in November of 1915. Troop withdrawals began in December and were finished in January of the next year. The plan to take Gallipoli had failed. It was an embarrassing defeat for the Allies and an expensive victory for the Ottoman Empire.
Casualties
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The death toll at Gallipoli was astoundingly high. More than 87,000 Turks and 44,000 Allied soldiers lost their lives, including 8,700 Australians and 2,721 New Zealanders. Somewhere around 160,000 Turks were thought to have been wounded with nearly 100,000 wounded among the Allies.
Aftermath
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The toll in human destruction was high, yet the Gallipoli campaign ended up mattering little in the overall breadth of World War I. For Australians and New Zealanders, it sparked immense national pride. Both countries celebrate ANZAC Day on April 25 in honor of those who served and sacrificed in Gallipoli's Australian and New Zealand Army Corp.
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