ABSTRACT
Kitchener left London late on November 4th. In Paris he found the French Government opposed to the evacuation of Gallipoli, which prompted him to send his telegram to Birdwood. Nevertheless Kitchener could not make up his mind to accept Monro's report. On November 1st he asked for the views of the corps commanders on the Gallipoli Peninsula to be sent by telegram. On November 19th after the Paris Conference, Asquith telegraphed that the Government had decided against the Alexandretta project and asked Kitchener to give his considered opinion on the evacuation of the Peninsula in whole or in part. After the French Government had 'ratted' on their agreement at Calais to evacuate Salonica, it became clear that no troops would be available from that theatre unless they were prepared to leave the French in the lurch, which would have brought down Briand's Government.
