ANZAC Day

Monday is ANZAC (Australia/New Zealand Army Corps) Day – my fourth holiday since I arrived, but more importantly one commemorating the Gallipoli campaign during WWI [http://www.anzacsite.gov.au/]. In some ways it’s analogous to Veterans/Memorial Day in the U.S., but perhaps maybe a better analogy is the U.S.’s annual remembrance of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Gallipoli is a Turkish peninsula overlooking the Dardanelles straight linking the Aegean Sea to the Black Sea. The British had the opportunity to run the straight during the early stages of WWI, thereby securing the Black Sea and exposing Constantinople. However, the opportunity was lost due to poor intelligence and lack of initiative (if I’m remembering my history). The Turks eventually discovered the vulnerability and reinforced Gallipoli. Enter ANZAC and British forces charged with dislodging the Turks. The campaign was a disaster. After securing a narrow beachhead, ANZAC faced an uphill battle on the cliffs of Gallipoli. Thousands were killed over several months before the campaign was called off.

See also: Gallipoli (starring a young Mel Gibson) and ANZACS (with Paul Hogan)
Hear also: Waltzing Matilda (by The Pogues)