First Battle of the Piave River

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First Battle of the Piave River
Part of Italian front of the First World War
WWI - Battle of Caporetto - New Italian Line at the Piave River - trenches near Case Ruei.jpg
Italian troops on the new Piave front
Date13–26 November 1917
Location
Result

Italian victory

Belligerents
Flag of Austria-Hungary (1867-1918).svg Austria-Hungary
Flag of the German Empire.svg  Germany
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg  Italy
Commanders and leaders
Flag of the German Empire.svg Otto von Below
Flag of Austria-Hungary (1867-1918).svg Archduke Eugen of Austria
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg Armando Diaz
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg Mario Nicolis di Robilant
Strength
Flag of the German Empire.svg 14th Army
Flag of Austria-Hungary (1867-1918).svg 11th Army
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg 4th Army
Casualties and losses
~21,000 ~12,000
Austrian trenches on the Asolone flank of the Monte Grappa massif WWI - Battle of the Piave River - Monte Grappa area - Austrian trenches on the Asolone.jpg
Austrian trenches on the Asolone flank of the Monte Grappa massif

The First Battle of the Piave River (Italian : Prima battaglia del Piave), was fought during World War I between the armies of the Austro-Hungarian Empire supported by the German Empire against the Kingdom of Italy along the Piave river.

The Italian Army was in all-out retreat after the Austro-Hungarian autumn offensive of 1917. The Italian Chief of the general staff, general Luigi Cadorna, had ordered the construction of fortified defenses around the Monte Grappa summit in order to make the mountain range an impregnable fortress. When the Austro-Hungarian offensive routed the Italians, the new Italian chief of staff, Armando Diaz, ordered the Fourth Army to stop their retreat and defend these positions between the Roncone and the Tomatico mountains, with the support of the Second Army.

The Austro-Hungarians, despite help from the German Army's Alpenkorps and numerical superiority, failed to take the mountain's summit during the first battle of Monte Grappa, which lasted from November 11, 1917, to December 23, 1917. Armando Diaz allowed his local commanders much more freedom of manoeuvre than his predecessor, which resulted in a more elastic and effective Italian defense.

Thus the Italian front along the Piave river was stabilized and the Austro-Hungarians failed to enter the plains beyond and to take the city of Venice.

See also

References