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From a series on the Great War, a 1916 map on the the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo, Italian commander Luigi Cadorna's offensive in August of the same year. The Italians crossed much of the Isonzo, and took Gorizia. The Austro-Hungarians continued to hold high ground to the east. Map labels include: River Isonzo, Gorizia, Doberdo Plateau, Carso Plateau, Gradisca, Monfalcone, Gulf of Panzano. Text: Area of General Cadorna's successful operations against Gorizia, August 1916. The Isonzo Valley forms the eastern line for the defense of Italy, and its possession was essential to the realization of Italian ideals. Gorizia, its main strategic position, was captured on August 9th, 1916, by the Italians, who thus secured possession of the key to Trieste.

From a series on the Great War, a 1916 map on the the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo, Italian commander Luigi Cadorna's offensive in August of the same year. The Italians crossed much of the Isonzo, and took Gorizia. The Austro-Hungarians continued to hold high ground to the east. © The Great War

Image text

Map labels include:

River Isonzo, Gorizia, Doberdo Plateau, Carso Plateau, Gradisca, Monfalcone, Gulf of Panzano

Text:

Area of General Cadorna's successful operations against Gorizia, August 1916. The Isonzo Valley forms the eastern line for the defense of Italy, and its possession was essential to the realization of Italian ideals. Gorizia, its main strategic position, was captured on August 9th, 1916, by the Italians, who thus secured possession of the key to Trieste.

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Wednesday, May 23, 1917

"On the 23rd [May], the Third Army batteries belatedly opened the second phase of the battle. Although still lacking those 200 extra guns, the shelling was fiercer than anything before on the Carso. Supported from the air and by floating batteries at the mouth of the Isonzo, the infantry's surprise attacks on the 24th and 25th widened the salient, rolling over three Austrian lines to capture a band of territory two kilometres deep from the central Carso to the sea. The Austrians melted away in front of the Italian right. Habsburg prisoners reported a crisis of morale, yet the Austrians did not buckle."

Quotation Context

Italian commander in chief Luigi Cadorna's Tenth Battle of the Isonzo began with more artillery than he had been able to muster in any of his 1915 and 1916 offensives. It was still not enough. He had launched his offensive on May 12, 1917, and within two days it showed all signs of being another failure. With their Russian front quiet after the February Revolution, the Austrians had transferred reinforcements to the west. The defenders held the high ground, such as the Carso Plateau, and the Italians attacked, as they had for two years, an enemy oftentimes above them, oftentimes well entrenched.

Source

The White War: Life and Death on the Italian Front, 1915-1919 by Mark Thompson, page 253, copyright © 2008 Mark Thompson, publisher: Basic Books, publication date: 2009

Tags

1917-05-23, 1917, May, Tenth Battle of the Isonzo, Tenth Isonzo, Battle of the Isonzo, Isonzo