The Naval Assault on Gallipoli Going for Broke or Just Broken
Abstract
When analyzing the 1914 Allied naval assault on Gallipoli, it becomes clear that there are two predominant arguments in support of the conclusion that the assault was the product of faulty military strategy and was thus doomed to failure from the start. The first argument asserts that even if the ships would have been able to make it through the straits, they did not possess the power to force the capitulation of Turkey. While there is much speculation in support of this assertion, there is equally as much speculation leading to the conclusion that if the fleet had made it through the Dardanelles, Constantinople would have fallen to the Allies. The fall of Constantinople would subsequently have lead to the collapse of the Turkish alliance with Germany. While this question can never be positively resolved, the preponderance of evidence does seem to suggest that it was reasonable to believe that a purely naval strategy could have been successful in bringing about the defeat of Turkey. The second predominate argument asserts that it was unreasonable to believe that a purely naval force could have forced the straits given the Turkish defenses in that area. While exploring this assertion, it becomes clear that forcing the straits would not have been easy. However, it was a calculated risk that had every chance of succeeding. Given the Allied advantage in firepower, the limitations of the Turkish batteries, and the capabilities of determined minesweepers, it is certainly reasonable to believe that it could have been accomplished. Given the reasonable assumption that a purely naval operation was not the product of poor military strategy doomed to failure from the start, it would then seem that poor execution had caused the plan to fail. Arguably, many things could have altered the outcome of this operation. Despite this, the evidence clearly shows that after the 18th of March, the Allies had a clear and strong advantage.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 15, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA406225
Entities
People
- Steve L. Wilson
Organizations
- Marine Corps University