THE WAR IN GALLIPOLI CANAKKALE. |
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The Gallipoli Peninsular on its eastern side
dominates the Dardanelles, the very narrow sea
approach to Constantinople and the Black Sea. It
was thought that if the Dardanelles could be
forced, and Constantinople captured, Turkey
could be knocked out of the war and Russia
supported via the Mediterranean Sea.On 4 August
1914, Australia, as part of what was then the
British Empire, went to war. With other member
countries of the Empire (Canada, New Zealand,
South Africa and India)
Australia joined with Great Britain to fight
Germany and her allies; Turkey was one of
Germany's allies. At that time Australia was a
new nation, less than 14 years old and for the
first time Australians from all over the country
came together to form an Australian army. This
force, the Australian Imperial Force (AIF),
initially 30,000 strong, left for overseas in
November 1914. While Colonial troops from all
the Australian states had fought in South Africa
in the Boer War, the common question in 1914 was
- How would these young Australians perform as
soldiers in this awful conflict of nations?
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