The Dardanelles
Map of Gallipoli Peninsula
Why was this image chosen?
Apart from the inscriptions on graves and memorials, there is little at Gallipoli on the old Australian and New Zealand battlefields which tells visitors the story of the conflict fought there in 1915. When it was found necessary to build a new commemorative site for the annual Anzac Day Dawn Service on Gallipoli, the opportunity was taken to provide this historical overview at the new site. These ten panels are the result.
A brief overview of the Gallipoli campaign from an Australian perspective is difficult to write. All that can be achieved is an introduction to the main events such as the landing and the major battles such as Krithia, Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair. Some attempt, also, had to be made to convey the physical hardships - apart from the ever-present possibility of death and wounds that the soldiers of both sides endured during the campaign.
Each panel consists of an illustration, a contemporary quotation, and about 170 words of narrative text. By comparison with today’s museum panels, this is rather long. However, as many Australians and New Zealanders who visit Anzac have made a big personal commitment to get there, it was thought that they would be willing to give time to understanding what happened at Gallipoli.
Panel 1 has a map to locate visitors within the region of Turkey where Gallipoli is situated. The quotation from Winston Churchill, with whom the idea for taking the Dardanelles originated, indicates
something of the contempt which the British had for Turkey’s military capabilities. Those who fought the Turks there in 1915 soon found them a formidable enemy.
English Text
A good army of 50,000 men and sea power - that is the end of the Turkish menace.
Winston Churchill
British cabinet minister, 1915
On 19 February 1915 British ships began a bombardment of the Turkish defences at the straits of the Dardanelles (Çanakkale Bogazi). The British wanted to break through to Constantinople (Istanbul),
the Turkish capital, and force Turkey, Germany's ally, out of the war. This strategy was designed to enable Britain and France to supply their ally Russia through Turkish waters and to open a southern front against Austria-Hungary. The naval attack failed. A plan was then developed to invade the Gallipoli (Gelibolu) peninsula to overcome the Turkish defences and allow the navy through the Dardanelles.
An army, the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, composed mainly of British, Australian, New Zealand, Indian and French soldiers, was assembled in Egypt and on Greek islands close to Gallipoli. British troops were to make the main landing at Cape Helles. Shortly before the British landing, a combined Australian and New Zealand force, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), was to land further north near Gaba Tepe (Kabatepe).
Turkish Text
50,000 askerden olusan güçlü
bir ordu ve deniz birlikleri—Türk tehdidinin sonu olacaktir
Winston Churchill
Ingiliz Kabine Bakani, 1915
19 Subat 1915 günü Ingiliz gemileri
Çanakkale bogazindaki Türk savunma hatlarini top atesine tutmaya
basladi. Ingilizler, Türklerin baskenti Istanbul’u ele geçirmek
ve Almanlarin müttefiki olan Türkleri savas disi birakmak istiyorlardi.
Bu strateji, Süveys Kanali üzerindeki Ingiliz hakimiyetini pekistirmek
ve Ingiliz ve Fransizlarin, müttefikleri Rusya’ya Türk karasulari
üzerinden destek vermeleri için gelistirilmisti.
Deniz saldirisi basarisiz oldu. Bunun
üzerine, Gelibolu yarimadasini isgal ederek Türk savunmasinin üstesinden
gelmek ve donanmanin Çanakkale bogazindan geçmesine olanak saglamak
için bir plan yapildi. Esas olarak Ingiliz, Avustralya, Yeni Zelanda,
Hint ve Fransiz askerlerinden olusan Akdeniz Kesif Kuvvetleri ordusu Misir’da
ve Gelibolu yarimadasi yakinindaki Yunan adalarinda toplandi. Helles Burnu’na
ana çikartma Ingiliz kuvvetleri tarafindan gerçeklestirilecekti.
Ingiliz çikartmasindan hemen önce, Avustralya ve Yeni Zelandalilardan
olusan bir birlik (Avustralya Yeni Zelanda Ordu Birligi—ANZAK) daha kuzeydeki
Kabatepe’ye çikacakti.
