The Gallipoli campaign
British troops disembarking at Alexandria, Egypt 1915The Gallipoli campaign, also known as the Dardanelles campaign and Çanakkale savaşı (Battle of Çanakkale), was a World War One campaign in which Britain and France attempted to seize the Dardanelles Straits.
This is a narrow passage connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara in north western Turkey.
By seizing control of the area, it was hoped they would be able to link up with the Russians in the Black Sea, where they could combine to knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war.
Theatre of OperationsThe campaign began with the first naval attacks in February 1915.
After 8 months of fighting, substantial numbers of casualties and fatalities on both sides, and very little progress made by Allied forces, the campaign was deemed a failure and Allied troops were withdrawn in January 1916.
This display marks the hundredth anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign, and draws on the holdings of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King’s College London.
Please note: This exhibition originally ran from March - September 2015 in the foyer of the King’s building, King’s College London, and is now available to view as an online exhibition only.
Images should not be reproduced without permission.
Twitter: @KingsArchives
