Gallipoli Revisited: An Operational Assessment of the 1915 Dardanelles Campaign

In 1915, the Allies conducted a series of operations known as the Gallipoli Campaign against the Turks in an attempt to force the Dardanelles Straits and threaten Constantinople. The campaign began with high hopes -- the potential rewards were inviting and the risks appeared to be minimal. Turkey was the weakest member of the Central Powers. Against her, the allies would direct an impressive array of naval and amphibious power. First, overwhelming naval power alone was applied. The Turks, however, were not overwhelmed. Then ground operations, supported by the navy, were employed. At Gallipoli the allies conducted the first major joint and combined amphibious operations of modern warfare. These efforts also failed. Following the failure, a debate arose regarding the campaign, which became one of the most studied military operations in history. But Gallipoli provides much more than an historical account of failure in battle. Gallipoli is a fascinating story of an attempt by the worlds premier naval power in 1915, Great Britain, to use that power to influence world events.