![]() ![]() The Fourth Isonzo Battle (10 November–2 December 1915) The Third Isonzo Battle (18 October–4 November 1915) The Second Isonzo Battle (18 July–3 August 1915) The First Isonzo Battle (23 June–7 July 1915) Eleven of them were launched by the Italians, the last one, the twelfth, by the soldiers of Austria-Hungary and Germany. During the twenty-nine months of warfare, May 1915 through October 1917, several fierce combats and twelve offensives took place in this area. Rombon to the Adriatic was named the Isonzo Front. The ninety-kilometre-long section of the front that ran along the Soča (Isonzo) River from Mt. Thus, the south-west front was opened it was more than six hundred kilometres long, running from the Pass of Stelvio on the Swiss-Italian-Austrian border trijunction, across the mountain region between Trentino and Veneto (at that time Trentino was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), the Carnian Alps, and through the Soča Region to the Adriatic. Signing the Treaty of London, negotiated between Italy and the Triple Entente, Italy quit the alliance and declared war on Austria-Hungary on , starting the operation the next day, on 24 May. During the first year of the war, in spite of its partnership in the trilateral alliance with Austria-Hungary and Germany, Italy remained neutral. ![]() Europe turned to a vast battlefield, divided into several fronts, since two opposing “blocks” entered the war: the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey) on the one side and the Triple Entente (France, Great Britain and Russia) on the other. In the first days of August, several countries exchanged the declaration of war, which meant the outbreak of World War I. ![]() After the Austro-Hungarian ultimatum to the Kingdom of Serbia, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia a month later (on 28 July 1914). Accordingly the Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo was initiated some two months later on 19 August 1917.On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie were assassinated while on a visit to Sarajevo. With morale in the Italian army plunging Cadorna planned one further breakthrough attempt as he massed the greatest number of divisions and artillery yet along the Soča (Isonzo) river. Some fighting also took place in the northern sections of the front in the Julian Alps, where the Austro-Hungarians streanghtened their positions along the Vršič mountain ridge.Ĭasualties continued to be high: 157,000 Italian losses were sustained, with a further 75,000 Austro-Hungarian casualties. Nevertheless, a major Austro-Hungarian counter-offensive launched on 3 June reclaimed virtually all lost ground and by the time the battle was called off by Cadorna on 8 June little territory had been gained. By the close of May the Italian army had advanced to within 15km of Trieste almost reaching the coastal town of Duino, although subsidiary attacks elsewhere failed. The second aim of the offensive was to conquer Mount Škabrijel, thus opening the way to the Vipava Valley. This time the Italians returned to the Kras plateau south-east of Gorizia, setting in train an infantry advance along a 40 km front in order to achieve a breakthrough towards Trieste. The previous three Isonzo battles had seen Cadorna concentrate short, sharp initiatives against closely defined targets, generally aimed at extending their sole bridgehead east of Gorizia. The Italians, deploying 38 divisions - against only 14 of the Austro-Hungarians - switched tactics once again. ![]()
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