First 5 Battles of Isonzo (1915-1956)

The battles of the Isonzo were so-named because they were fought along the Isonzo River on the eastern sector of the Italian Front between
June 1915 and November 1917. (http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/isonzo.html)

An Italian offensive aimed to capture cross the Soa (Isonzo) river, take the fortress town of Gorizia, and then enter the Karst Plateau
opened the first Battles of the Isonzo. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Front_(World_War_I)#Later_battles_for_the_Isonzo)

When Italy entered World War I against Austria-Hungary on May 23, 1915, only the Isonzo valley at the southeastern end of the fortified
mountain front offered prospects for a major offensive. Here a break through the enemy lines, capturing Gorizia and then Trieste, might
lead to an advance across the Ljubljana (Laibach) Gap toward Vienna. General Luigi Cadorna, commanding the Italian army, concentrated
two armies (about 200,000 strong) for this enterprise.

(http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/eleven-battles-of-isonzo)

First 5 Battles of Isonzo Data Chart (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battles_of_the_Isonzo)

Name Date Location Result Italy Italy Austria- Austria-
of strength casulaties Hungary Hungary
battle and losses strength casulaties
and losses
1st 23 Soa river, north- Austro- 225,000 (18 14,947 115,000 (8 9,950
Battle June west Slovenia Hungarian divisions, 252 divisions, 84
from the mountain tactical victory battalions, 111 battalions,
of the 7 Krn to the Gulf of cavalry 13 cavalry
Isonzo July Trieste squadrons, 700 squadrons,
1915 guns) 356 guns)
2nd 18 Soa river, Italian tactical 250,000 41,800 losses 78,000 46,600
Battle July northwest victory losses
Slovenia
of the 3
Isonzo Augu
st
1915
3rd 18 Soa river, western Austro- 338 battalions, 67,100(11,000 137 40,400(9,000
Battle Octo Slovenia Hungarian 130 cavalry dead) battalions dead)
tactical victory squadrons, 1372 (plus 47
of the ber3 artillery pieces battalions of
Isonzo Nove reinforceme
mber nts)
1915 634 artillery
pieces.

4th 10 10 November 2 Soa river, Austro- 49,500 (7,500 155 32,100

Battle Nove December 1915 western Hungarian dead) battalions (4,000 dead)
Slovenia tactical 626 guns
of the mber victory
Isonzo 2
Dece
mber
1915
5th 917 Soa river, Inconclusive 286 1,882 killed, 100 1,985 killed
Battle Marc western battalions(plus wounded and battalions(pl and wounded
Slovenia 90 in reserve), missing us 30 in
of the h 1,360 guns reserve).
Isonzo 1916 470 guns
Battle of Asiago(1956)
The Battle of Asiago was a counteroffensive launched by the Austro-Hungarians on the Italian Front on May 15, 1916, during World War I.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Asiago)

Battle of Asiago Data Chart

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Asiago)

Name Date Locatio Result Italy Italy Austria- Austria-

of n strength casulaties Hungary Hungary
battle and losses strength casulaties
and losses
Battle 15 May 10 Asiago Italian First Army and 140,000 casualties 11th Army 100,000
June 1916 plateau, defensive Fifth Army (12,000 dead, and casualties
of the Veneto, victory (172 battalions, 80,000 wounded, 3rd Army (15,000 dead,
Asiago Italy 850 guns) 50,000 taken (300 75,000
prisoner) battalions, wounded,
2,000 guns) 15,000 missing
and taken
prisoner)

Later battles for the Isonzo(1916)

Later in 1916, four more battles along the Isonzo river erupted.The Sixth Battle of the Isonzo, launched by the Italians in August, resulted
in a success greater than the previous attacks. The offensive gained nothing of strategic value but did take Gorizia, which boosted Italian
spirits. The Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth battles of the Isonzo (14 September 4 November) managed to accomplish little except to wear
down the already exhausted armies of both nations.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Front_(World_War_I)#Later_battles_for_the_Isonzo)
Name Date Location Result Italy Italy Austria- Austria-
of strength casulaties Hungary Hungary
battle and losses strength casulaties
and losses
6th 617 Gorizia - Doberd Italian victory, 22 divisions 51,000 (21,000 9 divisions
Battle Augu del Lago, Italy; conquest of dead)
41,835 (8,000
Opatje selo & Gorizia
of the st north-western
dead)
Isonzo 1916 Kras, Slovenia
7th 14 Gorizia, Italy Inconclusive 240 battalions, 17,000 150 15,000
Battle 17 1,150 artillery battalions,
pieces 770 artillery
of the Septe pieces
Isonzo mber
1916
th Monfalcone, Italy Inconclusive 20 divisions 25,000 killed, 14 divisions 25,000 killed,
8 10
Battle 12 wounded, missing wounded,
or captured missing or
of the Octo captured
Isonzo ber
1916
th Soa valley, Limited Italian 225 battalions, 39,000 170 33,000
9 14
Battle Nove Slovenia Advance 1,390 artillery battalions,
pieces 990 artillery
of the mber pieces
Isonzo 1916
1917: Germany arrives on the front
Following the minuscule gains of the Tenth Battle of the Isonzo, the Italians directed a two-pronged attack against the Austrian lines north
and east of Gorizia. The Austrians checked the advance east, but Italian forces under Luigi Capello managed to break the Austrian lines and
capture the Banjice Plateau. Characteristic of nearly every other theater of the war, the Italians found themselves on the verge of victory
but could not secure it because their supply lines could not keep up with the front-line troops and they were forced to withdraw.

The Austrians received desperately needed reinforcements after the Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo from German Army soldiers rushed in
after the Russian offensive ordered by Kerensky of July 1917 failed. The Germans introduced infiltration tactics to the Austrian front and
helped work on a new offensive. Meanwhile, mutinies and plummeting morale crippled the Italian Army from within. The soldiers lived in
poor conditions and engaged in attack after attack that often yielded minimal or no military gain.

On 24 October 1917 the Austrians and Germans launched the 12th Battle of the Isonzo(Battle of Caporetto). Chlorine-arsenic agent and
diphosgene gas shells were fired as part of a huge artillery barrage, followed by infantry using infiltration tactics, bypassing enemy strong
points and attacking on the Italian rear. At the end of the first day, the Italians had retreated 19 kilometres (12 miles) to the Tagliamento
River.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Front_World_War_I)

Name Date Location Result Italy Italy Austria- Austria-

of strength casulaties Hungary Hungary
battle and losses strength casulaties
and
losses
10th 12 Soa valley, Limited 400,000 150,000 (35,000 200,000 75,000
Battle May Slovenia Italian killed) (17,000
Advance killed)
of the 8
Isonzo June
1917
11th 19 Soa, near Inconclusive 600 battalions, 148,000 (30,000 250 105,000
Battle Augu Monfalcone, Italy; 5,200 guns dead, 108,000 battalions, (20,000
Banjice Plateau, wounded) 2,200 guns dead,45,000
of the st12 Slovenia wounded,
Isonzo Septe 30,000
mber missing
1917 20,000 taken
prisoner)
12th Kobarid, Central 350,000 soldiers 70,000 dead or 874,000 10,000 dead,
Battle 24 Austria- Powers 2,213 artillery wounded soldiers 30,000
Hungary victory 2,200 wounded,
of the Octo (present day artillery 265,000
Isonzo ber7 Slovenia) captured,350
Nove ,000 missing
mber
1917
Second Battle of the Piave River (June
1918)
The Second Battle of the Piave River, fought between 15 and 23 June 1918, was a decisive victory for the Italian Army during World War I. The Central
Powers failure was, as the Allies had anticipated, decisive.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_the_Piave_River)

The Second Battle of the Piave River began with a diversionary attack near the Tonale Pass named Lawine, which the Italians easily repulsed after two
days of fighting. Austrian deserters betrayed the objectives of the upcoming offensive, which allowed the Italians to move two armies directly in the path
of the Austrian prongs. The other prong, led by general Svetozar Boroevi von Bojna initially experienced success until aircraft bombed their supply lines
and Italian reinforcements arrived.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Front_(World_War_I)#Later_battles_for_the_Isonzo)

Name Date Location Result Italy strength Italy Austria- Austria-

of casulaties Hungary Hungary
battle and losses strength casulaties
and
losses
Second 1523 Piave, Italy Decisive 58 divisions total 43,000 dead or 57 divisions 11,643 dead
Battle of June Italian victory -47 Italian divisions wounded 80,852
the Piave 1918 -6 French divisions wounded
River -5 British divisions 25,547
captured
(source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_the_Piave_River)

The Battle of Vittorio Veneto(October

November 1918)
The Battle of Vittorio Veneto was fought from 24 October to 3 November 1918 near Vittorio Veneto on the Italian Front during World War I. The Italian
victory[2][3][4] marked the end of the war on the Italian Front, secured the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and contributed to the end of the
First World War less than two weeks later.[1]
Source:
1.Pasoletti, Ciro (2008). A Military History of Italy. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 150. ISBN 0-275-98505-9. "... Ludendorff wrote: In Vittorio
Veneto, Austria did not lose a battle, but lose the war and itself, dragging Germany in its fall. Without the destructive battle of Vittorio Veneto,
we would have been able, in a military union with the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, to continue the desperate resistance through the whole
winter, in order to obtain a less harsh peace, because the Allies were very fatigued."

2.Burgwyn, H. James (1997). Italian foreign policy in the interwar period, 19181940. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 4. ISBN 0-275-94877-3.

3.Schindler, John R. (2001). Isonzo: The Forgotten Sacrifice of the Great War. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 303. ISBN 0-275-97204-6.

4.Mack Smith, Denis (1982). Mussolini. Knopf. p. 31. ISBN 0-394-50694-4.

The Italian Army had suffered huge losses in the Battle of Piave, and considered an offensive dangerous. By October 1918, Italy finally had enough
soldiers to mount an offensive. The attack targeted Vittorio Veneto, across the Piave. The Italian Army broke through a gap near Sacile and poured in
reinforcements that crushed the Austrian defensive line. On 3 November, 300,000 Austrian soldiers surrendered. On the same day, Austria-Hungary sent a
flag of truce to the Italian Commander to ask for an armistice and terms of peace, which were accepted.
(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Front_(World_War_I)#Later_battles_for_the_Isonzo)
Name Date Location Result Italy and its Italy and Austria- Austria-
of allies strength its allies Hungary Hungary
battle casulaties strength casulaties
and losses and
losses
Battle of 24 October Vittorio, Decisive 57 divisions total 37,461 dead or 61 divisions 35,000 dead
Vittorio 3 Kingdom of Italian victory, wounded 6,145 guns 100,000
Veneto November Italy End of the 51 Italian wounded
1918 Austro- 300,000
Hungarian captured
Empire 3 British

2 French

1
Czechoslo
vak

1 US
regiment

7,700 guns

Aftermath of the battle: Occupation of

northern Dalmatia
By the end of November 1918, the Italian military had seized control of the entire portion of Dalmatia that had been guaranteed to
Italy by the London Pact.[1] From 56 November 1918, Italian forces were reported to have reached Lissa, Lagosta, Sebenico, and
other localities on the Dalmatian coast.[2] In 1918, Admiral Enrico Millo declared himself Italy's Governor of Dalmatia.[1]
1.Paul O'Brien. Mussolini in the First World War: the Journalist, the Soldier, the Fascist. Oxford, England, UK; New York, New
York, USA: Berg, 2005. Pp. 17.
2.Giuseppe Praga, Franco Luxardo. History of Dalmatia. Giardini, 1993. Pp. 281.
(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Front_(World_War_I)#Later_battles_for_the_Isonzo)