Background to the Gallipoli campaign

• By the end of 1914 (the first year of World War I)

there was a stalemate on the Western Front.

• The Ottoman Empire joined the war in 1914 on the

side of Central Powers (Germany and the Austro-
Hungarian Empire – also Bulgaria from October 1915).

• The Allied Powers (France, Britain and Russia) wanted

to control the sea route from Europe to Russia and to
capture Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman
Empire.
The Gallipoli Campaign of 1915-16, (sometimes called the Dardanelles
Campaign) was an unsuccessful attempt by the Allied Powers to control the
sea route from Europe to Russia during World War I.

The Campaign began with a failed naval attack by British and French ships on
the Dardanelles Straits in February-March 1915 and continued with a major
land invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula on April 25, involving British and French
troops as well as divisions of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
(ANZAC). Lack of sufficient intelligence and knowledge of the terrain, along
with a fierce Turkish resistance, hampered the success of the invasion.

By mid-October, Allied forces had suffered heavy casualties and had made
little headway from their initial landing sites.

Evacuation began in December 1915, and was completed early the following
January.
Where is Gallipoli?

Images APT Library

 Where is Gallipoli?

Image Google Earth/Creative Commons

 During February and
March 1915 British and
French navies
bombarded coastal forts
and artillery positions
along the Dardanelles
Straits, hoping to force
their way through to
Constantinople.

On 18 March five Allied warships were sunk or disabled. Allied commanders decided
that troops would need to attack the Gallipoli peninsula to disable the Ottoman
defences before the naval attack could proceed.

Images The Imperial War Museum/Royal Munster Library

Before dawn on 25th April 1915 Allied troops began to land on the Gallipoli peninsula.
The Ottoman defences were well prepared and Allied troops were injured and killed as
they landed. The Ottomans also suffered heavy losses.

Image The Imperial War Museum

Number of troops and casualties on each side
Allies Ottomans

Total troops in action 559,000 315,000

Killed or died of wounds 58,000 87,000

Wounded, sick, POWs 140,000 251,000

Number of troops and casualties in the Allied army

Britain & France & Australia & India
Empire colonies New Zealand
Total troops in 420,000 80,000 59,000 16,000
action
Killed or died 29,500 12,000 11,000 1,500
of wounds
Wounded, 14,000 30,000 25,000 3,500
sick, POWs

Source Gallipoli Association / Wikipedia

British troops in a trench at Gallipoli

Image National Army Museum

Ottoman-Turkish infantry camp

Image from Getty Images

A ship called the River Clyde’ carrying British troops was run aground at
Sedd el Bahr, Gallipoli, to act as a pier

Image from Getty Images

 An Allied officer in the
trenches with his men

Image from Getty Images