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| '''Gallipoli''' (from ]: Callipolis, meaning "Beautiful City") is a ] in north-western ], with the ] to the west and the ] straits to the east. | '''Gallipoli''' (from ]: Callipolis, meaning "Beautiful City") is a ] in north-western ], with the ] to the west and the ] straits to the east. | ||
Revision as of 09:22, 15 September 2003
Gallipoli (from Greek: Callipolis, meaning "Beautiful City") is a peninsula in north-western Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east.
Gallipoli was the scene of a bloody Allied campaign during World War I, an attempt to push through the Dardanelles straits and capture Constantinople. The campaign ended in stalemate with the Allies evacuated after fighting from April 25 to December 19, 1915. There were around 180,000 Allied casualties and 220,000 Turkish casualties. While ultimately unsuccessful the campaign did become something of a 'founding myth' for both Australia and New Zealand, and ANZAC Day is still commemorated as a holiday in both countries.
The attack also gave an important boost to the career of Mustafa Kemal, a little known army commander who exceeded his authority and contravened orders in order to halt the ANZAC advance and eventually drive them back. Kemal eventually changed his name to Kemal Ataturk and became the founder of the modern Turkish state after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
See also: Battle of Gallipoli
The 1981 film, Gallipoli, dealt with the experiences of Australian soldiers fighting at Gallipoli, and starred Mel Gibson.
Gallipoli is also a small city in the province of Lecce in Southern Italy.