In an article published on 28th October 1915, American war correspondent Granville Fortescue stated that the evacuation of Gallipoli was inevitable. It was the Germans’ objective to keep allied forces in the Balkans and away from the main theatre, i.e., the Western Front.
“GALLIPOLI FAILURE TOLD TO BRITISH”
“Censor Passes Book Setting Forth Hopeless View of Straits Campaign.”
London, Oct. 27, the sources stated that a hopeless view of the position of the Allies in the Dardanelles is taken by Captain Granville Fortescue in his forthcoming book. Captain Fortescue, formerly of the United States cavalry, saw the Gallipoli campaign from the Turkish side, as an American correspondent, and the fact that his book has been passed by the censor is declared to be the most significant piece of news we have received for a long time from the Dardanelles.
The Balkan crisis comes at an opportune time,” says Fortescue. The evacuation of the Dardanelles zone can now be excused as a military necessity. He who pushed the plan can escape indictment of his folly. What would have been a blow to British prestige can be explained away. The gigantic failure and its cost of 100,000 casualties will become history.
“But the position is not without threat of disaster to the Germans. “It can be accepted as certain,” Fortescue writes, “that the German General Staff know the whole truth about the situation in the Dardanelles. They know the Mediterranean expeditionary force must withdraw or it will be exterminated. If it is withdrawn it returns to the western battle line.
Furthermore, at the present moment Germany has her hands full in that zone. She must prevent this completely organised army from reinforcing Sir John French. By the attack on Serbia Germany hopes to draw these troops into the Balkans theatre of war and so destroy their usefulness against the main objective.
