HOW THE VICTORIOUS COMMANDERS OF GALLIPOLI WERE DEFEATED ON THE ARMENIAN LAND

Interview with the doctor of historical sciences, Professor Hamlet Gevorgyan

One of the famous battles of the First World War can be regarded as the Battle of Gallipoli, which is also known as the Dardanelles operation. The armed forces of the Entente had the goal – to establish control over the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits. If they succeeded, the Allies could bring Turkey out of the war. The second goal was to deprive the Russians of the possibility to possess these same straits. However, Turkey, with the effective support of Germany, could resist and destroy the plans of the Allies.

Already in May 1918, the commander of the Turkish troops was participant of the Battle of Gallipoli – Vehib Pasha. At the Battle of Sardarapat against Armenian military units fought the 36th Division of Gallipoli, and in the Battle of Bash-Aparan – 9th Division under the command of Lieutenant-General Esad Pasha, participant of military operations of Dardanelles. As we know from the history of the May battles, these divisions suffered a crushing defeat at Sardarapat and Bash-Aparan by Armenian forces under the command of General Silikyan and Dro.

In this historical period, when Armenia was in a difficult situation (on the one side – the attack of Turkish troops, on the other side – the armed actions of Turkish groups in the Ararat valley, refugees, famine, epidemic of typhus), even so, the Armenian people who survived the genocide, but lost most of their homeland, found the strength to form regular army units and defeat the “glorious” Turkish division – the participants of the Battle of Gallipoli, who were so praised by Erdogan.

Interview by ALICE ALAVERDYAN