Section outline

  • EXPLORE / TŪHURA

    EXPLORE / TŪHURA learning intentions:

    • We are EXPLORING to explain concepts that are contested and mean different things to different groups.
    • We are EXPLORING Aotearoa New Zealand’s participation in international conflicts over time, how we remember them and how we honour all those involved.



    Deadlock on the Western Front



    By the end of 1914, the stalemate in the trenches on the Western Front looked like it would never end.

    The Allies needed a victory and a way to defeat Germany. 


    A Way To Break The Deadlock

    Germany was an ally of Austria-Hungary and Turkey, and they were all fighting against Britain’s ally, Russia. 

    Though Russia had a large army it was unable to provide them with enough supplies. The landings at Gallipoli were an attempt to create a supply path through the Dardanelles to Russia by capturing Gallipoli and Constantinople (Istanbul). 

    If Russia was able to receive supplies from the Allies, she may be able to help defeat Germany, and the Allies thought that they could easily defeat the Turks.



    Gallipoli; An Overview

    On the 25th of April 1915, after many failed attempts to force a passage through the Dardanelles by Royal Navy, a force made up of British and French troops landed at multiple places along the Gallipoli peninsula. 

    Over this period of time the death toll rose dramatically as did the amount of injuries sustained. Events did not go according to plan and after 37 weeks, soldiers were evacuated from the beaches. 
    A huge amount of lives were lost during this battle. It is estimated that just over 130 ,000 soldiers were killed and over 262,000 soldiers were injured.



    The Road To Gallipoli


     

    2nd August 1914

     

    2nd November 1914

     

    6th November 1914

     

    13th January 1915

     


    18th March 1915

     

     

     22nd March 1915

     

     

     25th April 1915

    Ottoman Empire (Turkey) and Germany sign an alliance against Russia

     

    Russia declares war on Turkey

     

    United Kingdom declares war on Turkey

     

    British War Council approves plan for a naval operation in the Dardanelles

     

    Turkey defeats final attempt by British and French fleets to break through the Dardanelles

     

    Following naval defeat by Turkey, the British decide to make an 

    amphibious landing on the Gallipoli peninsula

     

    British Empire and French forces make amphibious landings on Gallipoli


    Why Gallipoli?


    If they could capture Gallipoli the Allies could;

    · secure Egypt and the Suez Canal

    · Italy and the Balkans would have to join the war on their side

    · Britain could send weapons and munitions to Russia

    · Russia could send Britain food and supplies


    What happened?

    The Royal Navy tried to bomb Turkish forts in the Dardanelle Straits in March 1915, but all this did was warn Turkish forces that the Allies were thinking of attacking there.

    The landings on 25th April were in the wrong place. The ships got lost and landed a mile away from the correct beaches. Instead of a shallow beach, the landing force was faced by steep cliffs and Turkish defenders who were well dug in.

    The first beachhead was too small to allow forces to be landed quickly and later landings faced problems. 

    Some landings were carried out in the dark and troops became lost. There was total confusion. 

    Once on land, the Allied troops found themselves bogged down in very difficult country, where the Turkish forces were always holding the high ground.

    The Allies found themselves once again in a trench war, making no progress against the Turks.

    Some  senior commanders were already thinking of evacuating the troops and giving up.

    The situation was made worse when Bulgaria entered the war on the side of Germany. This would mean that Germany would now have a direct land route (via Bulgaria) to Turkey, enabling Germany to supply heavy siege artillery which would devastate the Allied trench network.

    After visiting the front at Gallipoli himself Lord Kitchener agreed that evacuation of British Empire troops was the only action left.

    The evacuation was the most successful part of the whole operation, and was carried out without any further fatalities in December 1915.

    The Gallipoli Campaign never recovered from the failures of the first days. Over the succeeding months more and more Allied troops were thrown into the battle and the Turks matched the Allies man for man.

     The objectives assigned for the first day were still distant dreams when the British finally admitted defeat and evacuated the Peninsula in January 1916.

    The Turks saw this as a resounding victory.

    The defeat of the British Empire at Gallipoli shocked the whole world. 



    Why did the Allies fail at Gallipoli?

    The British would not send their best ships or officers because they wanted to keep them on the Western Front.

    It was very badly planned. The British did not even know how many Turkish troops were in the area. They were even using some old tourist guide books for intelligence!

    There were disagreements between the army and navy commanders.

    The officers made some very bad decisions. For example, soldiers were told to wait on beaches when they could easily have moved inland. This gave the Turks time to regroup and attack.

    The Turkish forces proved to be very determined fighters.

    The climate was very inhospitable and many soldiers died of heat and disease. 

    The Allies still used trench warfare even though this had caused a deadlock on the Western Front.



    Who is to blame?

    Winston Churchill


    Before he became well known as a savvy war leader and beloved Prime Minister of Britain during the WW2, he was major player in the conduct of WW1. 

    He was First Lord of the Admiralty and the main organiser of the Gallipoli or Dardanelles campaigns. 

    He made a lot of mistakes and under-estimated the Turkish people.

    After the Gallipoli disaster he was demoted to Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster...but he would be back!!

    Questions

    • Why did the Allies want to capture Gallipoli?

    • What was the result of the attack on Gallipoli?

    • What mistakes did the Allies make at Gallipoli?

    • Who was to blame for the failure of the Gallipoli Campaign?


    Homework

    For next lesson:

    • What is a hero?

    • What qualities do heroes display?

    • How is heroism commemorated?

    • Is it important to have heroes?

    • Who your heroes are and why?


    Make a few notes in the back of your Global books in preparation for a class discussion next lesson.