Question

Why was Gallipoli the most significant battle Australia fought WW1

Answer 1

The Gallipoli campaign was significant for Australia in WW1 as it marked the beginning of their national consciousness and resulted in heavy casualties for the ANZAC troops. The campaign, remembered annually on ANZAC Day, was a failed Allied attempt to knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war and is notable for almost ending Winston Churchill's political career.

Step-by-step explanation:

The battle of Gallipoli was highly significant for Australia during World War I as it marked the onset of a distinct national identity for Australia and New Zealand, whose troops were part of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). The ANZAC forces were part of a larger British-led campaign in 1915 intending to take Istanbul and remove the Ottoman Empire from the war, thereby opening a third front against Austria-Hungary and Germany. The Gallipoli campaign faced strong resistance from the outset, with Australian troops facing heavy losses. The operation was fraught with difficulties, starting with naval setbacks and continuing with a land invasion where troops struggled to push beyond their beachheads. This campaign lasted for eleven months and ended in a withdrawal, resulting in nearly 900,000 casualties across all engaged forces. The failures of the campaign nearly ended the political career of Winston Churchill and are still remembered every year on ANZAC Day, April 25th.

Answer 2

The 1915 conflict on the Gallipoli Peninsula was part of an Allied plan for Australian and New Zealand troops to distract the Turkish army from British troops landing further down the peninsula. It was hoped that the British would then face little resistance in their push to capture the Dardanelles, and then Istanbul, assuming naval success.