The Gallipoli Campaign took place from April 1915 to January 1916, when British and French forces launched an attack on the Gallipoli peninsula of the Ottoman Empire to capture Istanbul and secure a route to Russia. The campaign failed with heavy casualties on both sides and was considered a major victory for the Turks but a failure for the Allies. It had a significant impact in Turkey as a defining moment of national identity, while in Australia and New Zealand it marked the birth of their national consciousness and the anniversary is now commemorated as ANZAC Day.