On 25th April each year, Australia and New Zealand remember those who died at the Battle of Gallipoli during World War I. This year, Anzac Day as it is called sees the 100th anniversary of the battle. Gallipoli, also known as the Battle of Çanakkale, was a great disaster for the Allies—including the Britain and France as well as Australia and New Zealand, both of whom were loyal to the British Empire. The military campaign took place between 25th April 1915 and 9th January 1916 on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey. More than 10,000 Australian and New Zealand soldiers perished.

On 25th November 1914, First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill proposed a plan to the British War Council for a new front in the Dardanelles, the narrow straits that linked the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. This would help open up a sea route for Britain's ally, Russia. It would also force Germany to split her forces, because some would be needed to support the army of their allies, the Ottoman Turks. This would leave German lines weakened elsewhere in Europe, giving the Allies a boost.

Confident that their troops were superior to their Turkish counterparts, the British nevertheless pressed ahead with their plan for a land battle. Under the command of General Sir Ian Hamilton, the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, containing men from Australia and New Zealand (the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps or ANZAC) as well as Britain and France, was to be landed at several beaches along the Gallipoli peninsula, on the northern side of the Dardanelles.

The Turkish troops were poorly equipped and their supplies were poor, but they were stationed on higher ground. The invasion began on 25th April. British and French forces landed on several beaches near Cape Helles. One of the British divisions was caught in the fire from Turkish machine gunners. Many soldiers could not get ashore and were killed at sea. Others made progress a few kilometres inland, before being halted.

The ANZAC troops landed at what was to be called Anzac Cove. They were faced by steep cliffs which they had to climb to get off the small beach. The fighting was bloody, but Hamilton refused to allow them to retreat. By May, the Allies had lost 20,000 men—6000 dead, the rest injured—out of 70,000.

In August, Hamilton ordered a new attack on the coastline further north at Suvla Bay. Around 63,000 men were landed in an attempt to link up with the troops still camped in trenches in Anzac Cove. But the Turks held them back too.

In all, 8709 Australians and 2721 New Zealanders died, while 19,441 Australians and 4752 New Zealanders were wounded. Many more soldiers from Britain, France, India, Ireland and Canada also perished, most of them from diseases such as dysentery, diarrhoea and enteric fever. Total Allied dead or wounded came to nearly 200,000. The number of Turkish dead and wounded is estimated at around 175,000.