Troops at rest, Dardanelles, Turkey, 1915-1916. Artist: Unknown

1-527-359 - Art Media/Heritage Images

Troops at rest, Dardanelles, Turkey, 1915-1916. Launched in March 1915, the Allied landings on the Gallipoli peninsula were intended to establish a supply route to Russia throught the Black Sea via the Dardanelles straits. The operation was a failure, redeemed slightly by a successful evacuation of the Allied forces completed in January 1916. The 8 month campaign resulted in 140,000 Allied casualties and damaged the career of Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, who commissioned the operation.