First Battle of the Isonzo
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| First Battle of the Isonzo | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Italian Front (World War I) | |||||||
| Image:Italian Front 1915-1917.jpg Eleven Battles of the Isonzo June 1915 — September 1917 | |||||||
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| Combatants | |||||||
| Image:Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Italy | Image:Austria-Hungary-flag-1869-1918-naval-1786-1869-war.svg Austria-Hungary | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| Luigi Cadorna, Emanuele FilibertoGeneral Frugoni | General Svetozar BoroevićMajor General Géza Lukachich von SomorjaMajor GeneralNovak von Arienti | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 225,000 (18 divisions, 252 battalions, 111 cavalry squadrons, 700 guns) | 115,000 (8 divisions, 84 battalions, 13 cavalry squadrons, 356 guns) | ||||||
| Casualties | |||||||
| 16,000 | 10,000 | ||||||
Italian Front |
|---|
| 1st Isonzo – 2nd Isonzo – 3rd Isonzo – 4th Isonzo – 5th Isonzo – Asiago – 6th Isonzo – 7th Isonzo – 8th Isonzo – 9th Isonzo – 10th Isonzo – Ortigara – 11th Isonzo – Caporetto – Piave River – Vittorio Veneto |
The First Battle of the Isonzo was fought between Italians and Austro-Hungarians on the Italian Front in World War I, between June 23 and July 7, 1915.
The Italians' aim was to drive the Austrians away from their defensive positions along the Isonzo River and on the nearby mountains.
Although the Italians enjoyed a 2:1 numeric superiority, their offensive failed because the Austrians had the advantage of fighting from uphill positions, and because the Italians attacked after an insufficient artillery barrage, so that their assault was effectively halted by the still-intact enemy barbed-wire fences.
Early in July the Austrian commander, Svetozar Boroević, got two reinforcement divisions, which put an end to the Italian efforts at breaking through the Austrian lines.
The final Italian gains were minimal: the bridgehead at Tolmino, beyond the river, and the heights near Plezzo.
Contents |
[edit] Involved units
| Austria-Hungary | ||||
| 5th Army | ||||
| VII Corps | XVI Corps | XV Corps | ||
| 1st Infantry Division | 57th Infantry Division | 61st Infantry Division | 20th Infantry Division | 58th Infantry Division |
| 17th Infantry Division | 18th Infantry Division | 50th Infantry Division | ||
| 187th Infantry Brigade | 6th Mountain Brigade | 16th Mountain Brigade | 14th Mountain Brigade | 81st Honvéd Infantry Brigade |
| 39th Honvéd Infantry Brigade | 2nd Mountain Brigade | 12th Mountain Brigade | 5th Mountain Brigade | 4th Mountain Brigade |
| 10th Mountain Brigade | 1st Mountain Brigade | 13th Mountain Brigade | 7th Mountain Brigade | 15th Mountain Brigade |
| 8th Mountain Brigade | 3rd Mountain Brigade | |||
| Reserve | ||||
| 93rd Infantry Division | ||||
| Headquarters | ||||
| VII Corps in Kostanjevica | XVI Corps in Dornberg | XV Corps in Kneža |
| Italy | ||||
| 2nd Army | 3rd Army | |||
| VII Corps | X Corps | XI Corps | VI Corps | II Corps |
| IV Corps | ||||
| 13th Infantry Division | 14th Infantry Division | 20th Infantry Division | 19th Infantry Division | 21st Infantry Division |
| 12th Infantry Division | 11th Infantry Division | 4th Infantry Divsion | 3rd Infantry Division | 32nd Infantry Division |
| 7th Infantry Division | 8th Infantry Division | Bersaglieri Division | Alpini Group A and B | half 29th Infantry Division |
| Reserve | ||||
| XIV Corps | ||||
| half 29th Infantry Division | 22nd Infantry Division | 28th Infantry Division | 30th Infantry Division | 23th Infantry Division |
| 27th Infantry Division | 33rd Infantry Division | 1st Cavalry Division | 2nd Cavalry Division | 3rd Cavalry Division |
| Headquarters | ||||
| 2nd Army in Udine | 3rd Army in Cervigano |
[edit] References
- Österreichisches Staatsarchiv/Kriegsarchiv Wien
- L'esercito italiano nella grande guerra (1915-1918) Volume I - IV / Roma: Ministerio della Guerra - Ufficio Storico, 1929-1974
- Ministero della Guerra Stato Maggiore centrale - Ufficio Storico. Guerra Italo-Austriaca 1915-18. Le medaglie d'Oro. Volume secondo - 1916. Roma: 1923
- Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg 1914-1918 Band II Verlag der Militärwissenschftlichen Mitteilungen Wien 1931-1933
- Anton Graf Bossi-Fedrigotti: Kaiserjäger - Ruhm und Ende. Stocker Verlag, Graz 1977
[edit] See also
- Second Battle of the Isonzo - 18 July–3 August, 1915
- Third Battle of the Isonzo - 18 October–3 November, 1915
- Fourth Battle of the Isonzo - 10 November–2 December, 1915
- Fifth Battle of the Isonzo - 9–17 March, 1916
- Sixth Battle of the Isonzo - 6–17 August, 1916
- Seventh Battle of the Isonzo - 14–17 September, 1916
- Eighth Battle of the Isonzo - 10–12 October, 1916
- Ninth Battle of the Isonzo - 1–4 November, 1916
- Tenth Battle of the Isonzo - 12 May–8 June, 1917
- Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo - 19 August–12 September, 1917
- Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo - 24 October–7 November, 1917 also known as the Battle of Caporetto
[edit] External references
- First Battle of the Isonzo, 1915 at FirstWorldWar.com
- Battlefield Maps: Italian Front
- 11 battles at the Isonzo
- The Walks of Peace in the Soča Region Foundation. The Foundation preserves, restores and presents the historical and cultural heritage of the First World War in the area of the Isonzo Front for the study, tourist and educational purposes.
- The Kobarid Museum (in English)
- Društvo Soška Fronta (in Slovenian)
- Pro Hereditate - extensive site (in En/It/Sl)Battles of the Italian Front|Isonzo 01de:Isonzoschlachten
fr:Première bataille de l'Isonzo it:Prima battaglia dell'Isonzo hu:I. isonzói csata ja:第一次イゾンツォの戦い pl:Bitwy nad Isonzo sl:Soška fronta zh:第一次伊松佐河之役

