Tomorrow is Anzac (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) day. Originally intended to commemorate Australian and New Zealand soldiers who fought at Gallipoli, it now serves as a day to remember all who served and died in wars all around the world.
The Gallipoli Campaign began on the 25th of April 1915 and ended on the 9th of January 1916. It was an attempt to secure a sea route to Russia – and it failed.
Dr Bean, a historian, gives Anzac casualties at Gallipoli as: Australian 26,094 (7,594 killed), New Zealand 7,571 (2,431 killed).
His research gives the total number of British casualties as 119,696 (43,000 killed) and French casualties as 27,004 (8,000 killed). The German Dardanelles commander, General von Sanders, states that Turkish casualties were about 218,000 with around 66,000 of these being killed.
In every city and town in Australia and on the beach at Gallipoli, Australians will gather for a dawn service. It is a public holiday – a real public holiday – nothing is open. The television tomorrow night will be full of nothing but Anzac Day services and rehashes of the battle of Gallipoli.
I won’t look at any of it. It is not that I don’t think that those who died should not be remembered, I do. I’ve only been able to listen to this video (Last Post Gallipoli 2007) once – it brings a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes, but probably not for the reasons that most would think – I have yet to find one ethical reason why the First World War was fought.
Two nights ago, there was an item on the News showing a group of school children paying their respects at the Anzac Memorial in Brisbane. They were interviewed, and one little girl said, with a huge smile, that her great-uncle died at Gallipoli ‘to save Australia’.
“No”, I wanted to tell her, “He died because the governments of Europe wanted to use the assassination of a man, you’ve never heard of, in a place, that you do not know, as an excuse to expand their territories, to gain control of other country’s colonies, to try out new weapons and to settle old scores – and millions, all around the world, died for their greed, their ambition, and their revenge.”
By all means let us commemorate these men and women, but they and their descendants deserve the truth. To paraphrase Kipling:
If any question why they died – Tell them that their country lied
Only by telling the truth can we ensure that future generations question their governments’ decisions to wage war.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Good post Boadicea. Thanks to the EU this type of wanton nastiness is increasingly in the past, in Europe anyway.
I was pretty ignorant about Gallipoli until seeing one of those “You Do You Think You Are” TV programmes in which celebrities delve into their family history. Robert Lindsay’s grandfather went down along with many many others when their landing craft were shelled at Gallipoli.
Robert Lindsay visited the actual battle site. It made it all very real indeed and quite moving.
The Kipling quote says it all.
RoO: Thanks – but I don’t believe that the establishment of the EU has been much of a contributory factor in keeping peace in Europe. I really believe that Europe finally learnt the true horror of full-scale wars like WWII, and will never start such a war on their turf ever again.
Jan – I was also ignorant about Gallipoli until I came here.
I tip my hat to the Diggers and the Kiwis, they were a tough bunch in both wars. Dont get to hung up on why the First World war was fought Boa, or any war for that matter, just remember the poor sods who were either conscripted or volunteered, either way they did their duty and for that they should always be remembered and respected, which I’m sure you do. If you run across any Vets tomorrow, give ’em a wave for me.
Boa: one would hope so. However, after the Napoleonic Wars there was a long period of relative peace and prosperity which still ended in war.
Hi Boa, my grandad Mackie was at Gallipoli. He served in the Fife & Forfar Yeomanry.
One of my earliest boyhood memories is him singing ‘Click go the shears, boys’ to me at bedtime.
Grandad died in 1960 so I think that he must have learnt the song from an Aussie at Gallipoli rather than picking it up from the great Rolf H.
Not absolutely convinced that the British, and, therefore, the Empire’s, reason for entering WW1 did not, at least, have a slight ethical dimension. As you doubtless know, the official reason was Germany’s breach of the Treaty of London 1839, when they invaded neutral Belgium.
http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/london1839.htm
I appreciate, of course, that we (sorry Brendano, but it’s what I still feel comfortable with) were looking for an excuse to thwart German imperial and naval ambitions but, with respect, neither you nor I were there and maybe the leaders of the time did actually feel a moral obligation to ‘plucky little Belgium’ and all those allegedly-raped nuns.
My daughter was in Australia on Anzac Day a few years ago and was very impressed with the solemnity of the occasion.
“Wanton nastiness” seems a very odd way to describe a World War. I think the Victorian maiden aunt virus is worsening.
Thanks for the comments everyone.
John, WWI is way out of my expertise! I probably know less than most on here, although I did a bit of research before posting this.
Most seem to be agreed that Austria-Hungary’s reaction to the death of the heir was a little over the top, fully expecting the Serbs to refuse to accede to their ultimatum. The only thing, apparently, that was rejected was that the Austrians would investigate the crime.
One thing that did interest me was the fact that Britain did not join the general ‘let’s all go to war’ frenzy immediately. One of the pieces I read claimed that Germany believed that Britain would stay out of it and that it might not have escalated had Britain not taken so long to make up her mind to honour that treaty.
But I guess History is full of ‘ifs’, and I get the distinct impression that if the assassination of Franz Ferdinand had not been the trigger, then something else would have been: a bunch of bully boys lined up for a fight, thirsting for an excuse to begin battling.
Boadicea,
I’m impressed. Gallipoli has a significant place in Turkish hearts. Almost every single family has a martyr (how sad the word is so degraded lately).
I have posted this before:
Gallipoli
“What land werw you torn away from
what makes you so sad having come here”
asked Mehmet the soldier from Anatolia
addressing the Anzak lying near
“FROM THE UTTERMOST ENDS OF THE WORD I come
so it writes on my tombstone”
answered the youthful Anzak “and here I am
buried in land that I had not even known”
“do not be disheartened mate”
Mehmet told him tenderly
“you share with us the same fate
in the bosom of or country
you are not a stranger anymore
you have become a Mehmet just like me”
a paradise on earth Gallipoli
is a burial under the ground
those who lost their lives in fighting
lie there mingled in friendly compound
Mehmet then asked an English soldier
who seemed to be at the playing age
“how old are you little brother
what brought you here at such an early stage”
“I am fifteen forever” the English soldier said
“in the village from where I come
I used to play war with the children
Arousing them with my drum
then I found myself in the front
was it real or a game before I could tell
my drum fell silent
as I was struck with a shell
a place was dug for me in Gallipoli
on my stone was inscribed DRUMMER AGE FIFTEEN
thus ended my playful task and this is the record
of what I have done and what I have been”
a distant drum bereaved of its master
was weeping somewhere around
as drops of tear fell on it
with the soft rainfall on the ground
what winds had hurled
all those youthful brains
from four continents of the world
to the Gallipoli graves
Mehmet asked in wonder
they were English or Scotch
they were French or Senegalese
they were Indians or Nepalese
they were Anzacs
from Australia and New Zealand
shipsful of soldiers who had landed
on the lacy bays of Gallipoli not knowing why
climbed the hills and slopes rising high
digging trenches cutting the earth like wounds
to shelter as graves those were to die
some where BELIEVED TO BE BURIED
in one cemetery or another
some where in GRAVES UNKNOWN
all had ENTERED INTO REST
in the language of the tombs
at the age of sixteen or seventeen or eighteen
under the soil of Gallipoli
thus their short lived stories were told
as inscriptions on tablets of old
buried there Mehmet of Anatolia
without a stone to tell
consoled them saying “brothers”
I understand you so well
for centuries I also had to die
in distant lands not knowing why
for the first time I gave my life not feeling sore
for I gave it here for my own in a war
thus the sultans fief tilled for ages with my hand
has now become for me a motherland
you who died in this land you did not know
are no more foreigner or foe
for the land which you could not take
has taken you to her bosom too
you therefore belong here
as much as I do
in Gallipoli a strange war was fought
cooling off the feelings
as fighting became hot
it was a ruthless war
yet breeding respect
in heart to heart exchange
as confronting trenches
fell into closer range
turning foe to friend
as the fighters reached their end
the war came to a close
those who survived
returned to their lands and homes
leaving the dead behind
wild flowers wave after wave
replaced the retiring soldiers
wild roses and mountain tulips and daisies
were spread as rugs on the ground
covering trench -by- trench
the wounds of fighting on the earth
the ship turned the bankers into sheds
the birds replaced the bullets in the sky
nature with hands holding the plough instead of guns
captured back the battlegrounds
with its flowers and fruits and greenery
and life returned to the soil
as traces of blood were effaced
turning the hell of the battlefield
into a paradise on earth
Gallipoli now abounds
with gardens full
with nations full
of burial grounds
a paradise on earth Gallipoli
is a burial under the ground
those who lost their lives in fighting
lie there mingled in friendly compound
“Iying side by side”
as “friends in each other’s arms”
they may “sleep in comfort and peace”
in the land for which they died”
Bülent Ecevit, former PM of Turkey.
P.S: Mehmet is the most common name in Turkish. It’s the Turkish alteration of Muhammed. Turks does not give the name Muhammed to their sons, not be disrespectful to the name.
And our soldiers are called Mehmetçik.
Thank you for that Levent.
As I understand it, Gallipoli was a significant battle for the Turks as well.
Boa,
It was a famous victory for the Turkish army and for Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk) in particular. It possibly marked the start of the beginning that was to become a modern Turkey? It was definitely a black mark against Churchill, one of the main British architects of the ill fated campaign.
I thought you may find this of some interest.
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GPFjToKuZQM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"
I will try again.
Thank you Tocino.
I knew that Ataturk was there, I wasn’t aware that he was in charge.
As you say, it was a black mark against Churchill, and for many years it was always brought up on Anzac day that Churchill had sent the Ozzies and NZ simply to be cannon fodder. Some three, maybe four years back there was a shift, with articles showing how many British (and others) had died there too.
Yes, M. Kemal was there in command of some troops. That gave him the fame. And that fame later, helped him to play his part in our Independence war.
Boa,
He was a Lt Col at the time. He knew the area well and Gallipoli was the start of his rise to fame.
tocino, good evening.
Aye, thon’s a fine Jock-written song and the pictures are superb. The version by the Pogues is, however, total crud for me. It’s all a wee bit Test Match Special. Even if you are able to watch the game on TV, it is still better to turn the sound down and listen to the heirs of Arlott and Jonners, in my opinion.
So, and I know Brendano will agree with me on this, I offer you the best version of Eric Bogle’s great song.
My deepest respects to our past and present kinfolk and friends in Australia and New Zealand on Anzac Day 2010.
JM,
I put it up for the pictures and the words.
None needed John. 🙂
It’s the photos that do it for me… says it all.
Boa & JM,
Did you know that the song is one of the all time top 30 favourite Australian songs? 🙂
John Misread your comment – apologies!
TocinoDoesn’t surprise me.
Boadicea, this is a link to a BBC article on Anzac Day:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/nickbryant/
I’m not sure how celebrating a military campaign can “militarise history” since the campaign is already a fact. Some other expressions such as “the centrality of manhood” left me feeling there is a definite touch of the Germaine Greer in the book quoted. Anyway it might be of some interest. Hope you and Bearsy had an enjoyable Anzac Day.
Thanks Sheona – I read most of the comments, they were very interesting. 🙂
Thank you Boadicea
I totaly missed your excellent post until this morning, after Levent pointed me to it.
That both of us made references to Kipling is uncanny, but may I tell you how much I appreciate your thoughts above.
War is hell, for soldiers and civilians alike, but the first and second world war was shocking, due to the heavy casualties and ways these men suffered in battle.
A good read is Les Carlyon’s “Gallipoli”, which is a historic account of what happened to Australia in these days.
Most of these men rushed to enlist, hungry for adventure and motivated by the myths of grand British military campaigns. When they landed on the beach in the Dardanelles and were confronted by a modern invention called a machine gun, positioned in the hills above them, only then did they realise the savage reality of war and that they were cannon fodder.
Also of interest is the comment on Churchill, one of the engineers of this ill fated campaign. How he is a modern hero now, with no mention of his involvement in the sacrifice of these men in this disaster, is what I would call a true politicians ace card.
Also many thanks to Levent, as far more Turks died than British and allied soldiers. Also the way the Turkish people handled this war afterwards is a true sign of forgiveness and integrity, something that is hard to do for most nations that suffered so much in warfare.
Lest we forget, the fallen soldiers that is.
But let us not forget the madness that is war, or the politicians that drive it, sitting somewhere safe, ready to claim hero status for the deed of ordinary men.
Hello Rainer,
Thank you.
Yes war is madness but it’s a fact that there were wars and there will be.
In these era, I don’t think only polticians lead us to war. There are more war Lords.
As you know my nation is called army nation. I’m amazed at the amount of effort spend to provoke my beloved nation these days. I’m amazed at the level of patience shown here too.
Rainer,
See this:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=son-of-anzac-comes-to-turkey-to-remember-fallen-and-seek-turkish-brothers-in-arms.-2010-04-25
And this:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=dardanelle-war-beginning-of-ever-lasting-friendship-commemorated-2010-04-25
Thank you Boa, for this piece which has opened up such an interesting thread.
JM – love that second clip.
Very good post, Boadicea. I agree completely about the pointlessness of the First World War … the contrast with the Second World War in that respect could hardly be more stark.
Yes, governments were to blame, but I suppose the governments were an expression of the culture of the time (or at least were not acting against it).
Levent, ‘I’m amazed at the amount of effort spend to provoke my beloved nation these days’ … what sort of provocation?
Brendan,
Us the people of east unlike west can hardly be called driven by reason. We are emotional people (once Cymbeline called effervescent, which I liked).
We have been through a lot at the beginning of 20th century. Hundreds of thousand of (civilians mostly) Turks were murdered and was forced to come “back” to Anatolia from the Balkans. Thousands of us were murdered in the east by Armenians.
We were killed and tortured by Arabs in the south and in Palestine.
We are trying to forgive and forget. But still we are being called murderers etc.
Also the land/soil/hometown is sacred in my culture. Kurds are being manipulated for a seperate state. They never learn after all the WW1 at all.
We are eager for peace. But there is a very high level of tension here now. I fear that will not lead good.
Levent, I assumed you were referring to the situation with the Kurds. As for the rest, surely it’s all in the past? That video you posted suggested that Turkey is keen to present itself as a modern nation. As for being called murderers etc. … that’s only words, after all, and words can always be ignored.
If Turkey were some sort of pariah (which I think is far from the case), there would not be such strong support for its accession to the EU. I think many people internationally have great admiration and respect for Turkey.
John, I hadn’t noticed your comments. Yes, the Pogues’ version of ‘The Band Played Waltzing Matilda’ is crud, and Liam Clancy’s is hard to beat, in my opinion. Did you know that Clancy died recently?
Thank you Brendan. I know they are only words, but this is not so in this part of the world. Which is why I wrote the first sentence of the comment.