Naval strategy
The Allied plan began as an attempt to force the Dardanelles with warships and minesweepers, threaten Constantinople and establish a maritime route to Russia.
First World War · Dardanelles · Gallipoli
Gallipoli Campaign Timeline 1915
Explore the World History Database collection covering the Dardanelles naval campaign, the Gallipoli landings, Cape Helles, Anzac, Suvla, Chunuk Bair, Ottoman defence, submarine operations, command decisions and the final evacuation.
319 records
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Gallipoli in the First World War
A brief history of the campaign before the searchable record collection.
The Gallipoli campaign developed from the Allied attempt to force the Dardanelles, threaten Constantinople and open a maritime route to Russia. British and French warships attacked Ottoman fortifications during February and March 1915, but the main fleet assault of 18 March failed after mines and shore batteries inflicted major losses.
The campaign then shifted to a land invasion. On 25 April 1915 British troops landed around Cape Helles while the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landed north of Gaba Tepe at what became Anzac Cove. French forces operated at Kum Kale and Cape Helles. Ottoman troops, including formations commanded by Mustafa Kemal, contained the landings and prevented the Allies from securing the commanding heights.
Repeated Allied offensives failed to break the stalemate. The August offensive brought heavy fighting at Lone Pine, The Nek, Chunuk Bair, Sari Bair, Suvla and Hill 60, but it did not produce a strategic breakthrough. With winter approaching and the campaign under political review, Anzac and Suvla were evacuated in December 1915. Cape Helles was abandoned in January 1916.
Strategic aim: force the Dardanelles, threaten the Ottoman capital and create a supply route toward Russia.
Operational problem: difficult terrain, strong Ottoman defence, restricted beachheads, exposed supply lines and repeated failure to seize the main ridges.
Result: the Allies withdrew without achieving their strategic objective, while Gallipoli became central to Australian, New Zealand and Turkish national memory.
Campaign guide
From the Dardanelles naval attack to evacuation
A structured overview linking the existing chronology to the major operational phases of the campaign.
18 March 1915
The main fleet assault failed after mines and Ottoman shore defences inflicted heavy losses. The setback accelerated planning for a land campaign.
25 April landings
British, French, Australian and New Zealand forces landed around Cape Helles and Anzac. Ottoman defenders contained the beachheads before the Allies could seize the main ridges.
Helles and Anzac
Repeated attacks around Krithia, Anzac and nearby heights produced heavy casualties but little strategic movement, creating a trench stalemate.
August offensive
The Suvla landing and attacks toward Sari Bair, Chunuk Bair and Hill 60 attempted to break the deadlock but failed to secure a decisive advantage.
Evacuation
Allied forces withdrew from Anzac and Suvla in December 1915 and from Cape Helles in January 1916, ending the campaign without achieving its strategic objectives.
1915 19th FebruaryNaval bombardment begins
1915 18th MarchMain naval assault
1915 25th AprilLandings at Helles and Anzac
1915 6th AugustAugust offensive and Suvla
1915 8th AugustChunuk Bair
1915 DecemberAnzac and Suvla evacuated
Historical photographs
Gallipoli and the Dardanelles in photographs
Public-domain historical images are stored locally for stable display, with links to their original Wikimedia Commons source pages.
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Key events
Major stages of the campaign. The detailed database below contains the full chronology.
8 Jan 1915
Dardanelles proposal
British political and naval leaders consider an attack on the Dardanelles as a way to threaten Constantinople and assist Russia.
19 Feb 1915
Naval bombardment opens
British and French warships begin sustained attacks on Ottoman fortifications guarding the entrance to the straits.
8 Mar 1915
Nusret lays mines
The Ottoman minelayer lays a concealed mine line in Erenkoy Bay that later inflicts major Allied losses.
18 Mar 1915
Main naval assault
The Allied fleet attempts to force the Dardanelles but loses battleships to mines and Ottoman fire.
25 Apr 1915
Gallipoli landings
British forces land at Cape Helles while Australian and New Zealand troops establish the Anzac beachhead.
28 Apr 1915
First Krithia offensive
The first major Allied attempt to advance from Cape Helles fails to break the Ottoman line.
19 May 1915
Ottoman attack on Anzac
A large Ottoman assault fails to destroy the Anzac perimeter and causes heavy casualties.
4 Jun 1915
Third Krithia offensive
Another Allied attempt to capture Krithia ends without a decisive breakthrough.
6–10 Aug 1915
August Offensive
Anzac attacks, the Sari Bair advance and a new landing at Suvla seek to break the stalemate.
8 Aug 1915
Chunuk Bair
New Zealand troops reach the summit before Ottoman counterattacks eventually restore control of the heights.
21–29 Aug 1915
Hill 60 and Suvla
Further attacks try to link Anzac with Suvla but fail to secure a decisive position.
Dec 1915–Jan 1916
Evacuation
Anzac and Suvla are evacuated in December, followed by Cape Helles in January 1916.
People in the records
All named participants in this dataset, grouped by nationality/country and alphabetically ordered.
Permanent subject pages
Explore Gallipoli by battle, place, operation and commander
These crawlable pages are generated from the same 319-record archive and render matching chronology records as static HTML.
Dardanelles Naval CampaignThe Allied attempt to force the Dardanelles by sea in early 1915Gallipoli Landings, 25 April 1915The Allied amphibious landings at Cape Helles and AnzacCape HellesThe southern Gallipoli beachhead and repeated battles for KrithiaAnzac CoveThe Australian and New Zealand beachhead established on 25 April 1915Suvla BayThe August 1915 landing intended to break the Gallipoli stalemateChunuk BairThe struggle for one of the key heights above the Anzac sectorBattles of KrithiaRepeated Allied offensives from the Cape Helles beachheadSari Bair and the August OffensiveThe August attempt to seize the high ground above AnzacHill 60 at GallipoliLate-August fighting intended to improve the link between Anzac and SuvlaGallipoli Submarine CampaignAllied submarine operations through the Dardanelles into Ottoman watersSea of Marmara OperationsNaval activity beyond the Dardanelles narrowsGallipoli EvacuationThe withdrawal from Suvla, Anzac and Cape HellesKum KaleThe French diversionary landing on the Asian side of the DardanellesAnafarta and the Suvla BattlesOttoman counter-action around the northern Gallipoli sectorWinston Churchill and GallipoliThe First Lord of the Admiralty and the Dardanelles strategyIan HamiltonCommander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Expeditionary ForceWilliam BirdwoodSenior commander associated with the Anzac forcesMustafa Kemal at GallipoliOttoman commander whose actions became central to the defence of the peninsulaJohn de RobeckAdmiral who commanded the fleet during the main Dardanelles naval attackSackville CardenNaval commander who developed the early plan to force the DardanellesAlexander GodleyNew Zealand senior commander in the Anzac sectorCharles MonroCommander who reviewed the campaign and supported evacuationHerbert Kitchener and GallipoliBritish War Secretary involved in reinforcement and evacuation decisionsAylmer Hunter-WestonBritish commander associated with the Cape Helles sectorHarry ChauvelAustralian mounted commander whose forces served dismounted on GallipoliFrederick Stopford at SuvlaIX Corps commander during the August Suvla landing
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Sources and editorial review
Sources and further reading
Compiled and edited by World History Database.
The historical overview provides context for the site's 319 structured Gallipoli and Dardanelles records. The chronology preserves the database's stored dates, people, countries, places, event labels and descriptions.
Last reviewed: September 2026.