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Excerpt[]
Introduction[]
Narrator/Announcer: April 1915. The Allies begin their major combined arms offensive against the Ottoman Empire. Their ultimate goal—to control the sea route from Europe to Russia. The first step in that plan required the control of the Dardanelles, a narrow waterway leading to the Turkish capital Constantinople.
Cape Helles[]
British Empire[]
Introduction[]
British Soldier 1: I have long realized that the ambition of my life has been to go on a great military campaign. With dawn, I see that wish fulfilled.
British Soldier 2: Thousands of us wait quietly in the hull of this old collier ship, a Trojan horse, ready for the Ottomans with our sharpened British steel.
British Soldier 3: I saw the maps that the commanders are using... they are from the Crimean War, over 50 years old.
Frederick Bishop: How many times will I see the sun rise over a battlefield? This old dog might be getting too tired for war. After this campaign, it's time to call it quits.
Briefing[]
British Officer: Soldiers. Today we seize the beating heart of the Ottoman Empire. We seize Gallipoli. At dawn, we storm V Beach in Cape Helles. From there, we take their fort and supply stores at Seddel-Bahr. Then we will push forward and take their coastal batteries at Morto Bay. Our final objective in this region is to take the high ground at Kharab Kala. Stay strong soldiers, for victory is close at hand.
First Battalion Lost[]
- One of the following quotes is played at random.
British Officer: You fought well, but lost. Soldiers! We have come 3,000 miles to finish this war, that is too far to fail! At them again!
British Officer: There is no shame in this defeat. The bullets and shrapnel came like hail, but we survived! Now we will do more - we will win. Onwards!
British Officer: We have lost this fight. Dug in like vermin they were not an easy prey. But the spirit of Britannia is eternal. This time, they will be defeated.
Second Battalion Lost[]
- One of the following quotes is played at random.
British Officer: Another defeat is not easy to bear. It cannot happen again. We will either take this rock, or it will take our lives. Now band together and fight!
British Officer: Another loss, soldiers. But do not let exhaustion sink you. From all over the Empire, you men came to end this war. To the last!
British Officer: Again, we have lost. But we have one more chance to prove our valour, to bring our nation victory. Let them taste our bitter steel one last time!
Third Battalion Lost (Defeat)[]
- One of the following quotes is played at random.
British Officer: Our invasion has failed. We have been like rats, caught in a trap in this foreign land. I pray for an end to this war, and to see our homes once again.
British Officer: Our fight here is over. The dead surround us in their thousands. Even the most gentle must feel savage. And the savage must surely weep.
British Officer: We have lost. The Ottomans have a resilience we have to admire. Here, on sand and rock, we nobly accept defeat.
Victory[]
- One of the following quotes is played at random.
British Officer: A victory of splendid gallantry! You landed in a hostile country with formidable defences and proved yourselves worthy. Let us now advance upon Achi Baba.
British Officer: You are the victors! You have fought like heroes, served your country nobly, borne your wounds defiantly. We will now make our way to Achi Baba.
British Officer: A deserved victory, soldiers! We came to show the strength of out Empire and have not been found wanting. We shall now advance and take Achi Baba.
Ottoman Empire[]
Introduction[]
Ottoman Soldier 1: (in Turkish) Some say that our Empire is finished. But we are like fire...a smoldering hearth requires only fuel to reignite its mighty flame.
Ottoman Soldier 2: (in Turkish) Once we had single-shot rifles. Now they bring us these Nordenfelt guns with their rapid fire. We have truly joined the modern age.
Ottoman Soldier 3: (in Turkish) We load our guns with little messengers of death. Be warned, invaders, for we do not miss.
Briefing[]
Ottoman Officer: Soldiers. Today the devil attempts to steal our home from us. He will try to take our shores of Cape Helles. We will not let him. He will then try to take our fortifications at Seddel-Bahr. We will not let him. He will try to take our coastal batteries at Morto Bay. We will not let him. Finally, he will try to capture our high ground at Kharab Kala. Resolutely we will not let him. Today soldiers, we kill the devil.
First Battalion Defeated[]
- One of the following quotes is played at random.
Ottoman Officer: We have won! Soldiers of the Empire, the foolish British underestimated us Ottomans. This is to our advantage, so when they come once more, again we will hold!
Ottoman Officer: Your courage has delivered us victory! This is the spirit all Turkic people possess! Strive now and show them the strength of your faith and your will.
Ottoman Officer: Victory is ours! Praise Colonel Kemal for his brave leadership. But also, be prepared. They will come again.
Second Battalion Defeated[]
- One of the following quotes is played at random.
Ottoman Officer: Another victory for our nation, for all Ottomans! While you wait for their last assault, mourn your fallen brothers. After this, they will come no more!
Ottoman Officer: We have won this fight! But the British are a stubborn race and they will come one last time. Make them regret ever stepping foot on our sacred lands.
Ottoman Officer: You were victorious! Colonel Kemal salutes every one of you. But he also warns you--the invaders will come one last time. We must kill every last one of them.
Third Battalion Defeated (Victory)[]
- One of the following quotes is played at random.
Ottoman Officer: A glorious victory for the great Ottoman Empire! The ancient spirit of our fathers is in all of you. It is through strength of will that our country is now safe once more.
Ottoman Officer: We have won this fight! Praise be to Turkey, the glorious mother who gave birth to us. History will never forget what you soldiers have achieved here today.
Defeat[]
- One of the following quotes is played at random.
Ottoman Officer: We are a defeated force. Like these rocks we defend, too many of our brothers are now silent. But do not despair. We shall move back to Achi Baba and this invasion will end.
Ottoman Officer: We have been beaten, and must retreat. Remember, though--your ancestors were born of war and raised as heroes! Now let us regroup, and defend Achi Baba.
Ottoman Officer: Ottoman soldiers, we have lost. The stench of the dead hangs in the air; blood stains your hands. We must now retreat to Achi Baba and hold, or our country will be lost.
Intermission[]
Narrator/Announcer: Though the British did manage to capture and hold V Beach itself, they were soon locked in a stalemate, with both attack and counterattack gaining little ground. After eight months of torturous trench warfare, General Hamilton launched one final attack in an attempt to take the first day's objectives—the village of Krithia and the high ridge of Achi Baba.
Achi Baba[]
British Empire[]
Introduction[]
British Soldier 1: The sunsets here are glorious, reminds me of Rangoon. Though they are spoiled by the incessant bombardment of heavy guns.
British Soldier 2: We agreed on an armistice to bury the dead. As we worked together, I offered an Ottoman one of my last cigarettes. He offered me a light.
British Soldier 3: With little to do, some of the lads played a makeshift game of cricket. The victors got the last of our rations...tea and jam. Some of the boys laughed... I could not.
Frederick Bishop: I can see the end in sight. We can take this town... —as long as the poms don't piss away our momentum. I wouldn't put it past them.
Briefing[]
British Officer: Victory is within reach. We shall trample them with our momentum. First, we'll push forward from the Ridge Offensive here. Then we'll move to and take the trenches at Achi Baba Nullah. From here, we must drive the enemy from the Forward Redoubt, and capture the fortified Eski Kale. We will then fight past the bluffs, seize their backline, and prepare to take control of Krithia. For glory! For Britain!
First Battalion Lost[]
- One of the following quotes is played at random.
British Officer: A single loss, soldiers. But the spirit of Britannia never fails. Pull yourself up, look onward, and know you will be victorious once more.
British Officer: We have lost. Soldiers do not forget, we are fighting here to put an end to this terrible war. Now, at them again!
British Officer: We are defeated. This place of sand and rock is truly hostile. But we will learn from our mistakes and fight again. This time, to victory!
Second Battalion Lost[]
- One of the following quotes is played at random.
British Officer: We are defeated once more. But do not despair. Look into your hearts, think of your country, your families. Victory will be ours!
British Officer: Another defeat, soldiers. The shells have stopped buzzing. Use this quiet, use it to strengthen your will. Then at them again!
British Officer: We have lost, again. We will never be afraid. Let them blow their trumpets, let them whistle and shout - this time, they will be silenced.
Third Battalion Lost (Defeat)[]
- One of the following quotes is played at random.
British Officer: Though you have lost, you showed the courage and valour that exemplifies Great Britain. Mourn the dead, but not the Empire.
British Officer: We are defeated once and for all. Humbly, we must salute the Ottomans for their courage and strength. Then we must leave these shores, never to return.
British Officer: We have lost, soldiers. We will fight no more. This war has shown us terrible things, none more so than the horrors we have witnessed on the shores of Gallipoli.
Victory[]
- One of the following quotes is played at random.
British Officer: Though it has cost us dear, we have won this battle. Soon, the whole British fleet will be sailing up the Dardanelles, then the Ottoman Empire will fall, and we will end this war.
British Officer: Victory is ours. Soldiers of our allied countries, you have fought valiantly with us in arms. Because of you, we all live to fight another day. God Save the King!
British Officer: This victory will be saluted by our allies all across the world. But we cannot rest. We must now claim our most glittering prize—Constantinople!
Ottoman Empire[]
Introduction[]
Ottoman Soldier 1: (in Turkish) I swam in these waters as a boy. Now I can't even look at them, for British ships pollute my vision. I must rid my sea of them and swim in those waters once more.
Ottoman Soldier 2: (in Turkish) We have no medical supplies left. We take bloody bandages from the corpses, boil them in sodium carbonate, and use them over and over again.
Ottoman Soldier 3: (in Turkish) We can see the vultures heading down to our brothers' bodies. We want to shoot them but fear giving our positions away.
Ottoman Soldier 4: (in Turkish) By day, our armies fight each other with rifles and bombs. At night, we sneak out and stab each other in the dark. Death never rests.
Briefing[]
Ottoman Officer: Men of the Ottoman Empire be brave! For this is our last stand. We must hold the enemy at the Ridge Offensive here. They will push forward, but we cannot let them take Achi Baba Nullah. Should we lose that position, we will regroup and stop them at the Eski Kale. If it comes to the end, we we must defend our high ground on the outskirts of Krithia. We are what stands between these invaders and our home. We will hold here, or we will die trying!
First Battalion Defeated[]
- One of the following quotes is played at random.
Ottoman Officer: We have won this fight! If united in soul and purpose, men can beat giants. Bring them on again and we will do just the same!
Ottoman Officer: A great victory for our great nation! First we showed the vulnerability of the British fleet, now the weakness of their army. But be ready for them to come again!
Ottoman Officer: We have defeated these invaders! You were both glorious and brave before the British monster - it is this beast who now trembles in its boots.
Second Battalion Defeated[]
- One of the following quotes is played at random.
Ottoman Officer: Again we have been victorious! Now show patience while waiting for their last attack. And when they come, show them the wrath of the soldiers of this land!
Ottoman Officer: Another victory for the Ottoman Empire! We shall be a wall that the British army shall break against. Now, prepare for their final attack!
Third Battalion Defeated (Victory)[]
- One of the following quotes is played at random.
Ottoman Officer: You can hear the victory songs being sung across our land! Those nations who greedily eyed our great Empire, they retreat with their heads hung low! Praise Colonel Kemal for his valor!
Ottoman Officer: We are victorious here. The Ottoman people salute you. You have proved to the world that Gallipoli is impassable, and our nation will never be defeated.
Ottoman Officer: The vile British invaders...at last they are defeated. You have shown both bravery and chivalry, and the Ottoman Empire has been delivered from death. Long live the Sultan!
Defeat[]
- One of the following quotes is played at random.
Ottoman Officer: You have lost soldiers, and you must weep. We who did not die must now live to see our nation so humbled and filled with despair.
Ottoman Officer: This is a terrible defeat for our country, for the empire! This endless sky; these noble mountains; this sparkling sea - what will become of them now?
Ottoman Officer: We are defeated soldiers, in our own lands! These British, who build a harbour on the open shore and make bombs out of jam tins--they were a worthy enemy.
Conclusion[]
British Empire Victory[]
Narrator/Announcer: If the Allies had succeeded in securing the Dardanelles, the British fleet would have reached and possibly taken Constantinople. The subsequent fall of the Ottoman Empire would have opened up a new front for the Allies to attack the Balkan states loyal to the Central Powers, possibly ending the war within months. Failure for Colonel Mustafa Kemal's 19th Turkish division would likely have seen him demoted, and his role in the rebellion to liberate occupied Turkey would have been very different indeed.
Ottoman Empire Victory[]
Narrator/Announcer: The Allies withdrew from the Gallipoli Peninsula in January 1916. After six months of continuous fighting, the Allies had lost over 44,000 men, and the Turkish twice that number. No ground was gained at all by the British. While the campaign did divert large Turkish forces away from the Russians, it was a military disaster, unifying and motivating the Ottomans instead of defeating them. Winston Churchill was demoted and then resigned from the cabinet. Colonel Mustafa Kemal became the people's hero, and was later to become the founding father of the Turkish Republic.
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