The Battle for Gallipoli took place in the middle eastern theater of World War I, from 25 April, 1915 to 9 January, 2016.(cite) The battle was between the British Empire and the Ottoman Empire. The British Empire was attempting to capture Istanbul and knock the Ottoman Empire, who was allied with Germany and Austria-Hungary, out of the war quickly. From a strategic view, this would allow the Allies to better support Russia, which lacks year round naval access. Additionally, this would provide the British with some forward momentum, as they had been slogging it out in the trenches on the western front at this point with high casualties and no territorial gains to show for it. In order to accomplish this, the British were attempting to capture …show more content…
(Gawrych) The 19th Division, a subordinate command of the Fifth Army was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal, who would go on to lead the newly formed Turkish country as Kemal Ataturk. Among the advantages the Ottomans had were knowledge of the local terrain, British underestimation of their abilities, and Mustafa Kemal’s use of the principles of mission command. (Gawrych) Mustafa Kemal created shared understanding, provided clear commanders intent, exercised disciplined initiative, and accepted prudent …show more content…
He joined the Ottoman Army in 1893 at the age of 12 years old and was enrolled in the military high school. He was a successful student and was chosen to go on to military college. (Bryne) Upon graduation from military college in 1905, Mustafa Kemal was promoted to the rank of Captain. From 1905 to 1912 Mustafa Kemal led soldiers in combat throughout the Middle East and North Africa including in Libya, Albania, and Syria. (Bryne) These experiences were generally counter-insurgency type operations, with Mustafa Kemal leading conventional Ottoman forges against indigenous insurgents. Throughout this time, Mustafa Kemal developed his leadership techniques and improved his knowledge of the art of