Gallipoli campaign Flashcards
(4 cards)
1
Q
Background?
A
- soon after war broke out in 1914 - Turkey joined Germanys side - Germany promised to help their forces
- turkey and russia fighting each other in caucasus mountain region - russian generals appealed for help
- B and F keen to gain control of dardanelles - allow them to get supplies to Russia by water - attack on turkey would also distract germany
2
Q
The plan?
A
- winston churchill, head of British navy created invasion plan
- believed quick and easy victory over turkey could turn tide of war - turkeys neighbours would join britain and defeat AH - leave germany isolated and surrounded
- Plan was for navy to destroy Turkish forts on coast and sail up to capital - constantinople - no ground troops
3
Q
The attack?
A
- Phase 1 - Feb 1915 - B and F ships attacked Turkish forts at entracnce to dardanelles - took control in days
- Phase 2 March 1915 - 18 large battleships supported by smaller warships and minesweepers sailed into the dardanelles - met with huge resistance and had to retreat
- Phase 3 - April 1915 - clear than land invasion was needed - greek generals warned 150,000 soldiers was needed - Lord Kitchener only sent 70,000
- forces were mainly ANZAC - included troops from Britain and empire
- Turks ready for them - 84,000 troops waiting along coast
- In some areas attack was successful - others fighting was fierce - at Anzac cove, thousands of allied troops were wiped out with machine guns as they left their boats
- unable to break through, allies were forces to dig trenches and hold their positions
4
Q
Results of the battle?
A
- conditions in the trenches of gallipoli terrible - sweltering heat, food/water often contaminated - 80% of soldiers contracted dysentery
- Britain deemed attack as total disaster - leaders heavily criticised - 12 December 80,000 soldiers evacuated and idea of invasion abandoned - 200,000 deaths
- turkey remain in war and supplies could not reach russians - Bulgaria joined war on turkeys side
- Initial attack had done some damage and had prevented Turkey from helping Germans
