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Monday, May 04, 2009

Virtually Exploring the Battle of Gallipoli

The Battle of Gallipoli was a massive battle with repercussions that were even larger. The campaign gave Australians their own identity via their first baptism by fire, it allowed Mustafa Kemal to become a national hero enabling him to form modern Turkey, and it nearly ended the political career of Winston Churchill.

One of the reasons the battle was so horrible was because the lack of geographical knowledge by the Allied forces. Poor maps, charging in and out of steep ravines, and incompetency when it came to understanding the effects of tides and full moons led to horrible massacres.

Now one can fully understand the military geography of the battle with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Gallipoli: The First Day. The feature provides a timeline, weapon catalogue, and personality page of those who fought the battle. The main jewel though is the interactive, 3D map that depicts key even of the first few hours. The ability to see near eye level the various spots like ANZAC Cove and The Sphinx. The map turns this web feature into an online museum using the best neogeography tools available.

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