On 25 April-21 August 1915, the Battle of Gallipoli was fought between the Allies under Ian Hamilton and the Turks under Mustafa Kemal during the First World War.
Why did it happen?
By the end of 1914, the trench warfare on the Western Front led Allied generals to look for other ways to break the deadlock. The Gallipoli Campaign was conceived by Winston Churchill in January 1915 as a naval campaign to knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war and open a supply route to Russia. The campaign began on 19 February with a bombardment of Turkish positions on the Gallipoli Peninsula by naval guns, but this proved ineffective. On 18 March, the Allies attempted to storm the Dardanelles Strait with a fleet of 19 warships, only for the ships to hit Turkish mines, sinking three vessels. At that point, Sir Ian Hamilton was put in charge of an amphibious landing force to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula and advance towards the Ottoman capital, Constantinople.
Who was involved?
The Allied forces at Gallipoli numbered 115,000 infantry and 16 warships. Of this number, 100,000 were soldiers from Britain and France, while 15,000 were from Australia and New Zealand. At the start of the campaign, 60,000 troops would land at the southern tip of Cape Helles, while 15,000 would land at what became known as ANZAC Cove. Later, 20,000 British troops would land at Suvla Bay, while 20,000 would reinforce ANZAC Cove. The Turkish army at Gallipoli numbered 100,000 infantry and 300 artillery. They were led by Mustafa Kemal, a young Turkish officer who “had a superb grasp of strategy and an ability to inspire his troops by his reckless bravery in action” (Haythornthwaite, 1991, p.17). Indeed, while fighting for their homeland, the Turks also had the advantage of the high ground above the beaches where the Allies would land.
What happened?
On 25 April, 15,000 Australian and New Zealand troops landed at Z beach (ANZAC Cove) and overcame the Turkish defenders. In response, Mustafa Kemal quickly deployed troops along the crest of Sari Bair to contain the ANZAC landing. At the same time, Allied warships shelled the Turkish positions off Cape Helles before landing 60,000 British and French troops at S, V, W, X, and Y beaches. On V and W beaches, hundreds of disembarking troops were mown down by Turkish machine guns, while British troops were evacuated on Y beach the following day. Between 28 April and 6 June, the Allies attempted to break through the Turkish line at Krithia. The first assault on 28 April resulted in an advance of a few hundred feet. The second assault on 6-8 May was a stalemate as both sides entrenched themselves. The third assault on 6 June resulted in heavy casualties with no gains whatsoever. On 6 August, the ANZAC positions at Z beach were reinforced by 20,000 British troops. Subsequently, the ANZAC Corps attacked and captured Turkish positions on Sari Bair Ridge, Rhododendron Spur, Chunuk Bair and Hill Q by 9 August, only to be lost the following day. At the same time, 20,000 British troops landed at Suvla Bay on 6-7 August but did not advance until August 8. Turkish reinforcements arrived the following day to contain the British advance. The last British assault at Scimitar Hill was beaten back by the Turks on 21 August. During the four months of fighting, the Allies lost 46,000 killed, while Turkish casualties numbered 13,000 killed.
What changed as a result?
The Battle of Gallipoli was a Turkish victory. In the aftermath of the Allied defeat at Scimitar Hill on 21 August, Ian Hamilton was replaced by Charles Monro on 28 October, who advocated a total withdrawal after seeing the state of the Allied camps. This request was accepted, and between 10 December 1915 and 9 January 1916, the remaining Allied soldiers, pack animals and artillery were evacuated with no loss of life. Gallipoli would become the Ottoman Empire’s greatest victory of the First World War, leading to a national revival within the empire. Despite the Allied defeat, Gallipoli would come to forge Australia's and New Zealand’s sense of cultural identity. From 1916 onwards, 25 April would be celebrated as a Public Holiday in Australia and New Zealand to commemorate both countries’ involvement in wartime. Between 1918 and 1925, a permanent cemetery and memorial to those who died during the Gallipoli campaign was established. Ultimately, Gallipoli would come to symbolise the courage and sacrifices made by soldiers during the First World War.
Bibliography
Green, Trevor. Line of Fire: Gallipoli. UK, Cromwell Productions, 2002. DVD.
Haythornthwaite, Philip J. Gallipoli 1915: Frontal assault on Turkey. Oxford, Osprey Publishing, 1991.
Westwell, Ian. The Complete Illustrated History of World War I. Wigston, Hermes House, 2012.
Willmott, H.P. World War I. New York, Dorling Kindersley, 2007.