Gallipoli in Heroes of Battle

[green slime]

I was browsing my Heroes of Battle and actually enjoying the read when I come upon the following statement:

Heroes of Battle, page 85

To use some real-world examples, the Battle of Gettysburg, Custer's Last Stand, the trench warfare of the Western Front in World War I, the Normandy Invasion on D-Day are famous enough to warrant a recognition point award, but the battle of Pea Ridge, the Battle of Fallen Timbers, the Gallipoli campaign, and Operation Torch (the allied landing in North Africa) from those same wars are not. Although each is a significant battle that greatly influenced the eventual outcome of the war, these battles simply aren't as well known among the general populace.

And I just got to irritated for words, so I had to vent steam here....

Try telling any New Zealander or Australian that the Gallipoli campaign isn't well known amongst the general populace.... Those nations received their baptismal fire in the blood of that campaign. They commemorate those who have gone to war defending their nations interests on ANZAC day (ANZAC=Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) every year on precisely the anniversary of the landing at the Gallipoli peninsula, 25th April, 1915. It was already recognized as a special day in thiese countries by 1916! The significance of the Gallipoli campaign upon the national consciousness of these nations is immense.

The writer of the above passage should actually have opened a real history book about the Gallipoli campaign, or googled Gallipoli or ANZAC.

http://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/anzac/anzac_tradition.htm

From above website:

ANZAC Day - 25 April - is probably Australia's most important national occasion.

and
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/anzacday

Anzac Day in New Zealand is held on 25 April each year to commemorate New Zealanders killed in war and to honour returned servicemen and women. The day has similar importance in Australia, New Zealand's partner in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps at Gallipoli.

So please WotC, do not belittle what is clearly the most well-recognised battle in the history of these two proud nations, amongst their population!

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Not many ANZACs working at WOTC, mate.

They aren't trying to slight ANZAC sacrifice at Gallipoli, just trying to point out that some battles in some wars are better known than others.

 

[Yellow Sign]

While I can understand your frustration and concern, I don't think that the Author of the piece was in anyway stating that the Gallipoli campaign was not significant but that it was not as well known. This is most likely coming from an American point of view. Now I know that most people in Australia and New Zealand "know" about Gallipoli but the average Joe in the United States, Canada, Germany, Japan, etc wouldn't. Though I bet the average Australian hasn't a clue about what Gettysburg’s was about so it kind of evens out.


Though I would like to say that I (an American) am a bit of a military history buff so I know a lot about Gallipoli and the roll of Australian and New Zealand played in WWI and WWII. And I am sure glad that they were on our side (Allies).

 

[Someone]

Actually, they say the Gallipoli campaing was important, just not as well known as Custer´s Last Impetuous Blunder. Wich is another way to say that New Zealanders don´t have a potent film industry.

 

[Pants]

Actually, they say the Gallipoli campaing was important, just not as well known as Custer´s Last Impetuous Blunder. Wich is another way to say that New Zealanders don´t have a potent film industry.

Yeah, you New Zealanders need to start making more semi-historcial war dramas with Russel Crowe/Mel Gibson/Steven Seagal etc which happily butcher reality and history, all in one gory whole!

Then us Yanks will know all about it

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Er, there was a critically acclaimed (in America, even) film about Gallipoli, which is how come I know about it. (My dad made me watch it when I was a kid, as some sort of vet-scares-the-crap-out-of-his-kids-about-war program he conducted for most of my childhood.)

 

[eris404]

Er, there was a critically acclaimed (in America, even) film about Gallipoli, which is how come I know about it. (My dad made me watch it when I was a kid, as some sort of vet-scares-the-crap-out-of-his-kids-about-war program he conducted for most of my childhood.)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082432/

Mel Gibson is even in it.

 

[Yellow Sign]

Good Movie!

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

I'm with you on this one. This (British) European has heard of Gallipoli and I'm not alone. You'll just have to live with the fact that it was written by an ignorant Yank who refers generically to 'the trench warfare of the Western Front in World War I' rather than to actual WW1 battles like the Somme or Flanders (or Gallipoli).

My list of famous battles would include have Stamford Bridge and Hastings at the top, followed by Trafalgar, Waterloo, Culloden and Flodden Field. It certainly wouldn't include Gettysburg.

It's simply cultural, I couldn't name one important Chinese or Japanese Battle. Oh! (River Plate) yes, I can.

 

[Pants]

But does it have Russel Crowe?

EDIT: Curses, it has Mel Gibson! Defeat says I!