How Successful Was The Dardanelles Campaign

There is a strong argument from the documents that the Dardanelles campaign was not ‘a civilian plan’. The decision to launch the campaign was taken by the War Council, which included both politicians (including Asquith as PM, Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty) and experienced military personnel (Kitchener as Secretary of State for War and Fisher as First Sea Lord).

In addition, the plan itself was devised and prepared by the British Commander of the Mediterranean Fleet (Vice Admiral Carden).
The plan, set out in a telegraph from Carden to Churchill dated 11 January 1915, was reviewed by military experts in the Admiralty War Group (who clearly endorsed it) and then finally presented by Churchill to the War Council. The War Council …show more content…
However, the decision for this initial naval phase was not his alone.

In fact because of a conflict, a clash of personalities and a lack of unity within the War Council (especially between Churchill, Kitchener and Fisher) the initial plans inter-changed from a joint operation to a naval only one and the final decision for a naval only assault was taken at short notice before the start of the campaign. In fact Kitchener initially agreed to provide ground troops and later changed his mind stating that no troops were available.

Indeed the greater disaster of the Dardanelle’s campaign came later (after the naval phase was abandoned) and the landing of an expeditionary force commenced. As such, the Admiralty’s role (i.e. Churchill’s role) in this part of the campaign was largely a secondary one. As Churchill states, “the purely naval attack was abandoned, and since the 18 March the navy has played only a secondary” part (Doc 3. Memorandum for Cabinet, 15 August