Gallipoli and the Anzacs (essay)

Thousands of Australian men enlisted in The Great War and the first action they saw came to be known as the Gallipoli Campaign. It occurred from 25th of April 1915-9January 1916. Together the Australians and New Zealanders with support from Britain and France waged war against Turkey and Germany in the Ottoman Empire. It was to end the war sooner but many casualties resulted. Some of the well-known battles include; Krithia, Lone Pine and Suvla Bay. When it was known neither side could win, soldiers were evacuated. The losses made people question the war. Regardless of the failure it showed the beginning of the ANZAC legend. Gallipoli was a milestone known for the blood, sweat and mateship born out of a harsh situation.

The Gallipoli battle transpired for various reasons. There was a stalemate on the Western Front and a plan was devised by Churchill to defeat Germany and conclude the war, and despite his statement in 1911, ‘it’s no longer possible to force the Dardanelles’ that was exactly what they planned. They would capture the Gallipoli Peninsula and gain control of the Dardanelles to bring supplies to Russia, while isolating Germany and eliminating Turkey from the war. The soldiers we mostly remember are our own, the ANZACS, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps

As many ANZACS were training in Egypt they were sent to Gallipoli because they were close and it was more cost effective than sending mass numbers from Britain. More than 50,000 Australians and 8,500 New Zealanders served at Gallipoli, their first major military battle. It’s considered the birth of national identity as both established their countries were separate from Britain. The Australians played an important role fighting for the allies.

Naval attacks launched by British and French forces to break through the Dardanelles didn’t work so a land attack was decided. On 25th of April 1915, the ANZACS were predicted to land at Cape Tepe but landed north near Ari Burnu. The soldiers were confused, their maps showed flat land and yet monstrous cliffs and gunfire surrounded them. Disorganised and open to attack, they separated from their units while bullets rained down upon them. They charged for the first trench and within minutes had it. The Turks fired from above and the allies had to scale abrupt cliffs to capture the second trench. They held these positions under relentless gunfire and counter-attacks. It was the like Western front, with both sides living in well defended trenches with blood spilling and no gain.

Some famous battles were at Krithia and Lone Pine. Four miles from Cape Helles was Krithia a Turkish village. Three successive battles took place in April, May and June to capture it but each failed. After this all hope of breaking through evaporated. Two ‘beachheads’ were established at Helles and Ari Burnu (Anzac Cove). Attempts to move north had failed. Troops were shipped in at Suvla bay as ANZAC cove was congested. They were meant to move east to cut off the Turkish. When they landed, Turkish forces gathered and pushed them back. Meanwhile, diversion attacks were taking place at Krithia and Lone Pine. The Battle of Lone Pine from 6-10th August is shown in the film, ‘Gallipoli’ when the men lose most of their mates fighting in an attempt to capture a trench and keep hold of it. Something needed to be done about the unsuccessful battles.

Neither side could gain ground and reports were reaching civilians.  People were outraged resulting in Hamilton’s replacement by Monro who instructed Birdwood to plan an evacuation. The campaign halted and on the 19th-20th of December, troops at ANZAC cove and Suvla Bay were withdrawn, followed by Helles in January. The Turks were misled with self-firing guns however it’s believed they knew of the evacuation and let it proceed to protect lives. The evacuation was skilfully planned and executed with minimal losses.

Despite this, there were 36,000 ANZAC casualties and over 11,000 ANZAC deaths. Almost 400,000 total casualties occurred from both sides. The failure wasn’t caused by the soldiers but the men in charge, the poor leadership and planning and unexpected Turkish resistance. The difficult terrain and position of Turkish put the allies at a disadvantage. Ultimately the soldiers weren’t commanded properly and this led to their slaughter.

Many questions were raised by the campaign. The Turks and Allies respected each other, they buried dead together, threw supplies ‘over the top’. ANZACS threw b.b and the Turks threw sweets back. Was it right to make them kill each other? Some soldiers didn’t even know what they were in for. In the novel, ‘The Gallipoli Story’, two Kiwis thought war would be like rugby. The organisation of plans was queried and some generals were biased. The British saw Aussies as ill-disciplined soldiers with raucous behaviour who disobeyed orders, leading to the British putting them in dangerous situations. Despite this a relationship between them developed as the ANZACS shared their higher wages. A lot about Gallipoli was morally wrong.

Amongst the furnace of war, the ANZAC legend was born and the newly-federated Australia developed national identity. The ANZACS stood out for their courage and the strongest mateship in history. In Australia a mate is more than a friend. It’s someone who shares experiences and respect and provides unquestionable support. They had humour, laughed amongst serious British, risked their lives for mates and were resourceful. For example: their tin can bombs. In, ‘Gallipoli’, the experience brought Frank and Archie together and they fought to protect each other. Another example is Simpson who carried injured men to safety on his donkey. The ANZAC legend inspires generations of Australians and ANZAC Day; 25th April is a constant reminder.

Gallipoli was altogether a failure, due to the mass deaths, casualties and military strategies. In the six months, many major battles occurred at: Krithia, Suvla Bay and Lone Pine. No ground was gained. Throughout the devastation the ANZACS shone because of the courage which is still celebrated today. Many morals were questioned at Gallipoli, something that shouldn’t have happened. These brave souls fought for their countries rising above and beyond for the greater good.