![]() Many of these casualties were known as "Anzacs". While he spent most of his time on a yacht in the Aegean, tens of thousands of Allied soldiers were killed in a series of stupid, costly attacks. The leadership of this enterprise was in General Sir Ian Hamilton, who was not an inspiring or clever leader. Churchill wanted to use a surprise attack on the Turks to force allied troops into Constantinople and knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war (and provide a means of supplying the Tsar of Russia and his forces). In World War I it was the Dardanelles Campaign of 1915, best remembered for the name of one location in the straits involved: Gallipoli. In World War II it would be the fight for the island of Crete, which actually was a bloodbath for both England and Germany. In particular his constant insistence that the way to win wars against a Continental power (Germany) was to attack Europe by it's "soft underbelly". I have mentioned (in reviewing the television film, CHURCHILL AND THE GENERALS) that Sir Winston had a tragically inflated view of his ideas on military strategy. It also provides many pleasures, from a stirring score and to memorable performances from many, including Michael Blakemore and Timothy West as (once again!) Churchill. That is what makes this compelling viewing from the start. One cares for learning about the factual complexities/anxieties that Australia underwent during world history's most dramatic time. However, no smart viewer cares about such quibbles. Some of the actors (including Warren Mitchell as FDR) are not always convincing with their American accents, and even some of the actual Americans have laughable moments(Robert Vaughn plays MacArthur wearing sunglasses, even while indoors). It's not as well-done as CHURCHILL AND THE GENERALS or WORLD WAR II: WHEN LIONS ROARED, but it's a cinch to say that viewers who loved those dramas will enjoy this one. during WWII.but what about those beloved, amiable mates down under? This docudrama does a very fine job of showing what they went thru. Many of us have seen dramas of what transpired in England, the U.S., France, Italy, etc.
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