Why the Allies needed the Dardanelles

Russia's limited rail network made its ice-free Black Sea ports unusually important for food, munitions, exports, and Allied support. The Dardanelles therefore functioned like a defended bridge that the Allies had to cross if they wanted to supply Russia effectively. The argument is not that supplies would solve every Russian weakness, but that the route could keep armies equipped and reduce pressure on an overstretched transport system. This recasts Gallipoli from a peripheral diversion into an attempt to sustain the Eastern Front through maritime logistics.