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THE Gallipoli campaign of 1915-16 came about because of the deadlock on the Western Front, which turned British eyes toward other possible theatres, plus appeals for assistance from Russia early in January 1915. Separately, Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty; Colonel Maurice Hankey, secretary to the War Council; and David Lloyd George, Chancellor of the Exchequer; all came to the same conclusion, that several problems could be solved by sending a fleet through the Dardanelles Straits to menace Istanbul and force the Ottoman Empire to leave the war. If the Allies were successful, this would be a major victory, which would undoubtedly have a serious impact on the Central Powers in removing a significant ally. In addition, an important sea route would be opened to the Black Sea to aid Russia; and some of the neutral Balkan states might well be persuaded to join the Entente.
Originally, the plan was for a combined Franco-British fleet to force the Straits, using outdated battleships whose value in other theatres was limited. The fleet was to be supported by a Greek army of three divisions, which would also advance on Istanbul. However, Russian opposition prevented the Greek plan from taking place. Meanwhile, there was a fail-safe provision for the fleet-if it met with severe difficulties, the fleet could simply turn around and retreat. Consequently, a naval plan was prepared, and in February and March 1915 the Allied fleet attempted to knock out forts and guns in the Straits, before proceeding through to the Sea of Marmara and Istanbul. However, mine fields and hidden guns prevented success, and a final effort on 18 March resulted in the sinking of three Allied battleships, plus severe damage to three other capital ships. Meanwhile, a small British military force had previously been made available to assist the fleet, but with the defeat of the fleet, the fail-safe plan was forgotten. Instead, Britain drifted into a larger and larger military undertaking, with the idea of using the army to capture the Gallipoli peninsula, thus opening the Straits for the fleet. France agreed to send a division, Australian and New Zealand troops were brought from Egypt, and Britain contributed the regular 29 Division. So, finally, on 25 April 1915, some seventy-five thousand Allied...