As the Edwardian period ended (1901–1914), the new era of WWI saw the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzacs) land around Ari Burnu on the western side of the Gallipoli peninsula.
It was reported to be between 4.30am and 4.45am that 16,000 Australian troops landed on the shores of the Ottoman Empire on April 25, 1915.
They were part of an invading force in the Great War (1914–18), fighting on behalf of George V, King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India.
The campaign aimed to ‘re-establish sea communications with Russia through the Black Sea and end the Ottoman Empire’s role in the war’ according to www.aph.gov.au.
At the time, Russia was weakened by the Germans, and asked the British and French for military assistance to defend potential attacks from the Turks.
Strategically, it appears that the Gallipoli campaign was not thought through by Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill.
Nearly eight months after the landing, troops were finally evacuated on December 20, 1915.
The death toll was staggering. According to www.nzhistory.govt.nz, there were ‘7,000 French, and nearly 115,000 British and dominion casualties’. ‘New Zealand suffered around 8,000 casualties, including 2,779 dead. Australia’s 28,000 casualties included more than 8,700 fatalities’.
Overall, around 60,000 Australians died in the Great War.
It’s said that Gallipoli was a turning point, because Australia began to assert its own identity and independence from the British Empire.
Former Labor PM, Paul Keating, famously refused to visit Gallipoli. He challenged the narrative that Australia’s nationhood ‘was baptised within the Anzac spirit of Gallipoli’.
SMH’s Tony Wright wrote in 2008, ‘This puts him at odds with former prime ministers Bob Hawke and John Howard, and former Labor leader, Kim Beazley, who have all made moving speeches at Anzac Day ceremonies at Gallipoli’.
We are told ‘Lest We Forget’.
According to anzacportal.dva.gov.au that means ‘to remember always the service and sacrifice of people who have served in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations’.
Perhaps we should also not forget that in those times, there was a strong commitment to follow orders from authority and governments, for good or bad. In modern times, would so many young Australian men wilfully put their lives at risk for war?
Hans Lovejoy, editor
I’d hope that not “so many young Australian men wilfully put their lives at risk” – or young women either these days – without questioning the propaganda that surrounded that war. I’m not that confident though, that our young are now propaganda proof and wonder if that “ strong commitment to follow orders from authority and governments” has been replaced by a similar blind devotion to the powerful and further reaching voices found on social media.
Thank you for an informative and balanced article.
Times have changed since then because generations from the Baby Boomers onwards have questioned government decisions and directions.
Thank you, also, for confirming my ongoing opinion of Keating.
Keating was one of the few PM’s that respected the requests of the LAST ANZACS!
The last ANZACS asked for Gallipoli not to be commemorated or remembered in any way, period!
It was a disgrace to the ANZAC legend, where our troops were used as cannon fodder by the deplorable British high command. A catastrophe used as an example of what to never do or repeat ever again. Every time the powers that be mention Gallipoli, it insults the ANZACS legend.
Educate yourselves, there’s an Australian Doco, called “Palestine, the last ANZACS tell all”. Its on tube and the History Channel, was show again every ANZAC day on the History channel. The ANZACS want their victories commemorated and celebrated not this horrific disaster, they all would rather forget ever happened.
The ANZACS frown at the thought that Gallipoli was the birth of our nation, to them it was a catastrophe an insult. Their charge at Beersheba they believe was by far the greatest example of that ANZAC Legend!
We have just seen PM Albanese go to Kokoda to commemorate ANZAC Day, this is the real ANZAC meaning, the Battle of Australia, where Australia was attacked and had to fight for its life.
Not some distant European war on the other side of the world. Commemorated by those that would rather keep Australia British, than Australian!
“‘Lest We Forget’. “….but it is obvious that we have forgotten the central message those returning tried to convey is that we should NEVER be fooled again by lying governments, into involving the nation into an overseas war.
We have just been fooled again into the illegal invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, where “our brave lads “eagerly participated in the most hideous war-crimes, and deserve eternal condemnation.
Although the Australian dead only amounted to about a quarter of those , at last count, being slaughtered by those filthy Israeli Jews in Gaza, it too was a senseless slaughter, for no other reason than a decoy to limit the casualties of the proposed English landing on Turkey.
Lest we Forget, G”)
Wow, Ken’s a deadset anti-semite racist. You don’t see to many real examples on these pages. I’m a little suprised the Editor let this comment slip through to the keeper. Ken, are you an anti semite because of your religion or does it come from another dark place? Are you a neo Nazi perhaps? Now you’ve outed yourself please tell us your story.