Maps, sketches and annotations: representations of the geography of conflict - Gallipoli 1915

Producing maps and related representations of geography in warfare provides information about the terrain and the positions of troops. They are also used in strategic planning and as operational tools. They are an integral part of a military campaign. An international collaborative research project is studying the geographical information resources and geographical representations used for analysis, planning, conducting and postevent analysis of large-scale operations. The research focusses on the geographical information resources used in the Gallipoli Campaign in World War 1, so as to appreciate mapping resources used to visualise the political and physical geography that contributed to the selection of the Gallipoli peninsula as a site for a second front during World War 1, the determination of possible landing sites, developing 'at location' troop deployment and movement plans and the eventual evacuation of forces from Gallipoli. Exploratory research to identify maps and geographical artefacts was undertaken in mid to late 2009 at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, the Imperial War Museum, the British Library, the Royal Geographical Society map library and archive, the Army Museum and archive, all in London, the Département des Cartes et Plans, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and the Service Historique de la Defense, Department de l'Armee de Terre Division, France in Paris. This paper provides an insight into the mapping and geographical artefacts produced during the Gallipoli campaign. It describes the various maps and drawings that were produced to represent the geography of this part of the Dardenelles campaign in World War 1.