The Gallipoli Catastrophe Documentary
The Gallipoli
Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli or
the Battle of Çanakkale (Turkish: Çanakkale Savaşı), took place on the
Gallipoli peninsula (Gelibolu in modern Turkey) in the Ottoman Empire between
25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during World War I. Aiming to secure a sea
route to Russia, the British and French launched a naval campaign to force a
passage through the Dardanelles. After the naval operation, an amphibious
landing was undertaken on the Gallipoli peninsula, to capture the Ottoman
capital of Constantinople (Istanbul).[6] After
eight months the land campaign also failed with many casualties on both sides,
and the invasion force was withdrawn to Egypt.
The campaign was one of the greatest Ottoman victories during the war and is
considered a major failure of the Allies. In Turkey,
it is perceived as a defining moment in the nation's history—a final surge in
the defence of the motherland as the Ottoman Empire
crumbled. The struggle formed the basis for the Turkish War of Independence and
the founding of the Republic
of Turkey eight years
later under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a commander at Gallipoli. The campaign is
often considered to mark the birth of national consciousness in Australia and New Zealand and the date of the
landing 25 April, is known as "Anzac Day". It remains the most
significant commemoration of military casualties and veterans there, surpassing
Remembrance Day (Armistice Day).
The campaign was one of the greatest Ottoman victories during the war and is considered a major failure of the Allies. In Turkey, it is perceived as a defining moment in the nation's history—a final surge in the defence of the motherland as the Ottoman Empire crumbled. The struggle formed the basis for the Turkish War of Independence and the founding of the Republic of Turkey eight years later under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a commander at Gallipoli. The campaign is often considered to mark the birth of national consciousness in Australia and New Zealand and the date of the landing 25 April, is known as "Anzac Day". It remains the most significant commemoration of military casualties and veterans there, surpassing Remembrance Day (Armistice Day).
