The Failure Of The Gallipoli Campaign

Australians. The Gallipoli campaign took place on the Gallipoli peninsula in Gelibolu in 25th of April 1915 to 9th January. The Gallipoli campaign was an allied attack to gain a direct trading route towards Russia. France, Britain and one of Russia’s allies launched a naval attack against the Gallipoli peninsula followed by an amphibious landing. The naval attack failed and the amphibious landing caused many deaths.

The reason that Gallipoli was attacked is that it was needed in a plan proposed by Winston Churchill that said that if the allied forces could take over Gallipoli the Germans would be forced to half their army to come deal with the oncoming threat of forces from the sec1`ond front that would be created from this (Gallipoli).Gallipoli
The 19th divisional commander Mustafa Kemal, leading the defence against the ANZACs, was told by error by a staff officer that another landing had taken place at Kum Tene which was to the south of the current location. Between Kaha Tepe and Cape Helles.Kemal took the 72nd and 77th ottoman regiments to go meet the non-existent landing. While the 57th regiment was left to fend off the ANZACs alone. Kemal and the two regiments were kept away for four hours or more, this opportunity was not exploited by the ANZACs.

Conditions in Gallipoli were terrible yet the soldiers pushed on. Most were afflicted by terrible ailments such as homesickness, lack of water and body lice. Body lice were infectious and most men had them and terrible sores from bug bites that had been scratched. In small tents some men were naked to the waist searching for the body lice in-between the seams of their shirts. But the body lice caused quite a few missing in actions because when men went swimming they left all their items and clothes. The Turks often killed men while they were
When the time comes round for parting from my little eight by four,
And I get a good night’s rest without a back that’s sore,
Well – perhaps some day I’ll miss you, and will long to live once more
In the little cosy dug-out on the hill.

This letter writing activity was widespread and happened regularly throughout all of the allied forces. But also some letters showed the depression of the war. Such as letters foretelling future deaths of the soldier’s writing or wills. This happened all too regularly.
The lessons learnt from this campaign were that war causes depression and pain but only the victor’s write the history. So it was written that war doesn’t cause much pain but that only applied to those who came back.
Despite the Gallipoli campaign being an inglorious failure. It marked a moment for Australian’s and New Zealand’s alike to rise and develop a character that the whole world saw and even now that genuine ANZAC character is seen by all. A character that was kind and you could trust to have your back or take a bullet for you. There is no better example of this except Stephen and his mule. So even though the Gallipoli campaign caused so many deaths it is a defining moment that will be looked upon for the rest of Australian history as a perfect characterization of Australian