Review of "Gallipoli," by Les Carlyon

 Review of

Gallipoli, by Les Carlyon ISBN 0732911281

Five out of five stars

Definitive history of the Gallipoli campaign

 World War I is known for the massive assaults where hundreds of thousands of men faced off against each other in deeply entrenched positions. Battles were generally exercises in masses of men charging across open territory trying to dislodge and defeat men with machine guns. Tens of thousands died on both sides in a single battle and on the western front, the front line rarely moved more than a mile or two. Most attacks were prefaced by massive artillery bombardments that sometimes lasted for days.

 The Allied attack on the Turkish territory on the west side of the Dardanelles straight was a sideshow front relative to the battles that took place on the eastern and western fronts. Yet, it did have the potential for the highest reward for the risk of any of the other fronts. For if the Allies would have been able to take control of European territory of the Ottoman Empire, the Turks would have likely sued for peace. With the Ottoman Empire out of the war, Russia and the Allies would have been able to move freely through the straits and the Black Sea. Badly needed military equipment and supplies could then have been transported to Russia.

 Therefore, Winston Churchill was probably right in his insistence that the Allies carry out the attack that is now known as the Gallipoli campaign. However, in a war known for the simple-minded incompetence of the commanders, this battle was probably the most poorly led and executed of the entire war. It ended with an ignominious withdrawal by the Allied forces.

 As Carlyon states, the attacking forces largely didn’t know anything about the terrain, climate or morale of the opposing Turkish forces. They carried out the invasion lacking vital munitions, food, water and medical people and equipment. Despite the obvious lessons for the need for artillery support to destroy defensive positions, the attackers had only a minimum amount of artillery. They also suffered from the arrogance of believing that when they arrived the Turkish forces would simply retreat in terror, leading to an easy victory.

 This book is the definitive description of this battle, how it was conceived, conducted and finally abandoned with heavy loss. Carlyon also describes the morale and motivation of the troops of the Australian and New Zealand contingents. While independent, at the time the British ties were still strong, and these men willingly enlisted to fight and die in one of the most pointless fronts of the war. It is easy to come away from reading this book surprised that Winson Churchill was able to eventually rise from the ashes of this debacle.

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