Gallipoli

On the 17th February 1915, British, French and Anzac (Australian and New Zealander) troops set off for the Darndanelles straits. The aim was to free the blockade that the Ottoman Empire were causing, which was stopping the Russians getting their supplies. On November 25th 1914, Winston Churchill suggested his plan for a new war front in the Dardanelles. On January 15th 1915 British troops in Egypt were put on alert. The Central Powers were fighting primarily on two fronts – the Western and Eastern Fronts. Fighting against such forces as the Russian and French armies put a great deal of strain on the German military.Churchill’s idea was simple. Creating another front would force the Germans to split their army still further as they would need to support the depleting Turkish army. When the Germans went to assist the Turks, that would leave their lines weakened in the west or east and lead to greater mobility there, as the Allies would have a weakened army to fight against.The Turks had joined the Central Powers in November 1914 and they were seen by Churchill as being the weak underbelly of those who fought against the Allies. When they arrived the Turks had prepared themselves. They had lots of Artillery and water mines that they mine sweepers on the British ships missed. Many ships were destroyed and the Allied Forces were forced to retreat. That was the sea campaign; not wanting to give up, the Allies started the land campaign. They attacked from a beach on the shore of the straits but the Turks were on the top of a hill and fired down killing many Allied troops. In spite of this, the Allies kept attacking and tried to gain land but soon, it was hopeless and they were once again forced to retreat. An estimated 27,000 Allied troops were killed or injured nothing was gained.