8a. Why Gallipoli peninsula? [History]

WHY GALLIPOLI?

Russia was in the Triple Entente so was one of the Allied powers, but if you have a look at the map, it was sort of blocked by Germany & Austria-Hungary & Ottomans.

The Baltic Sea (north of Germany) was blocked by the German navy and the Black Sea’s only entrance to the Mediterranean was the Bosporus Straits (Istanbul) which was blocked by the Ottoman Empire.

The Western Front (in France and Belgium) was where the fighting was mostly happening and it was a stalemate. So Winston Churchill  thought if the Ottomans were attacked Germany would have to split their forces up to support the Turks which would weaken German forces on the Western front. This would be there would be two fronts.

There was also a problem moving troops, equipment, armaments and supplies to their ally Russia. The Ottomans had control of the sea leading to the Bosporus Strait – which gives access between the Mediterranean Sea (Aegean Sea) and the Black Sea.

The Dardanelles is between the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean Sea. If you look at the map you can see where the Dardanelles are:

The British thought that if they could take control of the Dardanelles they could invade Constantinople (Ottoman Capital) AND be able to transport supplies through to the British Empire’s ally, Russia. 

The Allied forces first launched a naval attack on the Dardanelles in March 2015. The massive naval fleet (the largest ever) planned to attack from the Mediterranean Sea through the Aegean Sea and into the Dardanelles – which would lead them through the Sea of Marmara to Constantinople, the Bosporus Straits ad into the Black Sea.

BUT, the Ottoman Turks had heavily mined the entrance to the Dardanelles. 3 of the 16 battleships were sunk and many others were severely damaged so they retreated.

The naval failure led to the decision to make a land attack on the Gallipoli peninsula from the Aegean Sea. The plan was that the Allies would surprise the Turks and beat them quickly and then march up to Constantinople and take over. (this is where we drove from Istanbul). The problem was that the Turks knew they were coming and had prepared.

The campaign was commanded by General Hamilton. The troops were from France, Britain and her colonies/dominions of Australia, New Zealand, India and Canada (which was called Newfoundland back them).  

The British and Australian & New Zealanders landed on 25 April 1915. The British landed at Cape Helles in the south, and the ANZACS landed in the central part which is now called ANZAC Cove.

The ANZACS were meant to land further south.

Field Marshal Birdwood (British but born in India was in charge of the Australian & New Zealanders in the Gallipoli campaign (apparently he approved the name ANZACS – Australian & New Zealand Army Corp”). By the way, the Australians were the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) but it’s ANZACS everyone knows. Anyway, Birdwood knew they landed at the wrong beach (they might have been given the wrong bearings or there might have been a current and because it was dark, it wasn’t noticed).

Birdwood wrote in his diary on 25 April 1915:

“Boats missed their bearings in the dark inclined about 2 miles to the North getting us under the very difficult country there”