I always found it rather interesting that the only medal Hitler wore was his Iron Cross from WWI, wheras most other Nazis loved to wear scads of flashy medals.
Re: Gallipoli. Yes, it is true that Churchill invested considerable capital into the doomed gallipoli expedition. Unfortunately, he was opposed from the very beginning, by senior admirals of the Royal navy. Also, the idiot general appointed (Birdwood/birdbrain). failed to take the high ground before the turks moved in. My question; suppose the operation went briiliantly-the turks were taken by suprise, and a British column was marching on Istanbul. Turkish officials capitualte, and Turkey falls out of the war. Does this really help things? True, Russia now has an open port to the meditrerranean…but will that help the floundering russian army?
Considering the horrendous supply situation the Russians were in at the time (not enough rifles, not enough ammo, food riots), it could have been the decisive factor keeping the Russians in the war (at least judging by what I’ve read in Nicholas and Alexandra and Castles of Steel).
In Len Deighton’s excellent alternative-history novel, SS-GB, Churchill is shot by a German firing squad in Berlin as a POW, based on the technicality that he had worn military uniform after Germany and Britain were formally at war.
A retired British officer says wearily, “We warned Winston not to wear that bloody uniform…”