Dardanelles CampaignArticle Free Pass Dardanelles Campaign, also
called Gallipoli Campaign, (February 1915–January 1916), in
World War I, an Anglo-French operation against Turkey, intended
to force the 38-mile- (61-km-) long Dardanelles channel and to
occupy Constantinople. Plans for such a venture were considered
by the British authorities between 1904 and 1911, but military
and naval opinion was against it. When war between the Allies
and Turkey began early in November 1914, the matter was
reexamined and classed as a hazardous, but possible, operation.
On January 2, 1915, in response to an appeal by Grand Duke
Nicholas, commanding the Russian armies, the British government
agreed to stage a demonstration against Turkey to relieve
pressure on the Russians on the Caucasus front. The Dardanelles
was selected as the place, a combined naval and military
operation being strongly supported by the then first lord of the
Admiralty, Winston Churchill. On January 28 the Dardanelles
committee decided on an attempt to f