‘Who called for a ceasefire? Gallipoli 1915‘, Wartime (Australian War Memorial) 73, Summer 2016, pp. 54-59 (pdf supplied by author)
The author argues that the ceasefire of 24 May was needed, tricky to negotiate and raised issues of pride.
Both sides initially wanted a ceasefire for sanitary and humanitarian reasons. Moreover, a ceasefire was observed and implemented surprisingly smoothly and amicably, despite a number of minor incidents. After the event, however, recriminations led to friction between some senior allied commanders, and the belligerents soon engaged in a kind of blame game about the origins of the demand for a ceasefire. For obvious strategic reasons, each side attributed the initiative to the other …
It should be granted that the Ottomans gained relatively more from the truce. In addition to collection of the dead and wounded, they turned the opportunity to military advantage by recovering a substantial number of working weapons. Much of the evidence indicates that the Ottoman generals never considered making the first move for a temporary ceasefire. They hoped and waited for the Australians to make the first approach.
