Gallipoli Campaign

Setting the scene

The Gallipoli Campaign began on April 25, 1915, when Allied troops—primarily British, French, Australian, and New Zealand (ANZAC) forces—landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Ottoman Turkey. The campaign was conceived by Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, to knock Turkey out of World War I, open a supply route to Russia through the Dardanelles, and relieve pressure on the Western Front. The naval attack in March had failed, leading to a land invasion.

What happened

The landings at ANZAC Cove and Cape Helles met fierce Turkish resistance led by Mustafa Kemal (later Atatürk). The Allies were pinned on beaches below cliffs, unable to advance. The campaign became a stalemate of trench warfare in harsh conditions—heat, disease, and flies. After eight months and 250,000 Allied casualties (including 56,000 dead) and 250,000 Turkish casualties, the Allies evacuated in December 1915-January 1916 in a brilliantly executed withdrawal with minimal losses.

Why it still matters

Gallipoli was a disaster for the Allies and a triumph for Turkey, boosting Turkish nationalism and Atatürk's career. For Australia and New Zealand, April 25 (ANZAC Day) became their most important national day, marking their emergence as nations. The campaign ended Churchill's career temporarily—he resigned in disgrace. Gallipoli demonstrated the folly of underestimating the enemy, poor planning, and the difficulty of amphibious operations, lessons applied in World War II's D-Day landings.

Background

ANZAC legend grew from the withdrawal.