The Gallipoli Campaign was a major Allied naval and land operation intended to knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war and open a supply route to Russia via the Dardanelles. The invasion involved British, French, and significantly, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). However, the Ottoman defenders, led by Mustafa Kemal (later Atatürk), held the high ground and inflicted heavy casualties. The campaign descended into a bloody stalemate characterized by heat, disease, and trench warfare as brutal as that on the Western Front. After eight months and over 250,000 casualties on each side, the Allies evacuated. For Australia and New Zealand, Gallipoli became a defining moment of national identity, while for Turkey, it was a pivotal victory that helped forge the modern republic.