Ninth Battle of the Isonzo

Last updated
Ninth Battle of the Isonzo
Part of the Italian Front
(World War I)
WWI - Ninth Battle of the Isonzo - Italian infantry after leaving the trenches.jpg
Italian infantry after leaving the trenches on the eve of the battle
Date31 October – 4 November 1916
Location
Soča valley, Slovenia
Result Austro-Hungarian victory,
Belligerents
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg  Kingdom of Italy Flag of Austria-Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Austria-Hungary
Flag of the German Empire.svg  German Empire
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg Luigi Cadorna Flag of Austria-Hungary (1867-1918).svg Svetozar Boroević
Strength
225 battalions
1.400 artillery pieces		 150 battalions
800 artillery pieces
Casualties and losses
4,785 Killed
19,922 Wounded
9,217 Missing or Captured		 2,382 Killed
12,028 Wounded
8,119 Missing or Captured

The Ninth Battle of the Isonzo was an Italian offensive against Austria-Hungary in the course World War I. Including a triumvirate of battles launched after the Italians' successful seizure of Gorizia in August 1916 to extend their bridgehead to the left of the town, it ended in further failure for the Italian Chief of Staff Luigi Cadorna.

Contents

The battle started with an attack on Vrtojba and the northern and central areas of the Karst Plateau. [1] [ self-published source ] With the ninth battle fought from 1–4 November 1916 the combined casualty total from the three linked battles proved sufficiently heavy to ensure that each attack was of short duration (each less than a week). The Italians suffered 75,000 casualties and the Austro-Hungarians 63,000.

As always along the Soča (Isonzo), the Austro-Hungarian Army's command of the mountainous terrain provided a formidable natural barrier to the Italians' attempts to achieve a breakthrough. Cadorna had intended to ensure such a breakthrough in the wake of the capture of Gorizia during the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo, but instead the war of attrition gathered pace.

Neither side could particularly afford the casualties suffered but the Austro-Hungarians in particular were finding their defensive lines increasingly stretched. Realising this they continued to call upon their German ally to provide military assistance within the sector. When the Germans finally assented (sensing the potential collapse of the Austro-Hungarian position) and constructed a combined force in time for the Twelfth Battle of Isonzo, the results were dramatic.

However, with the ninth battle called off in failure on 4 November 1916 and the Italians undeniably weakened by continual offensive operations throughout the year - 1916 had seen five Isonzo operations on top of four undertaken the year before - a lengthy break was taken for the winter.

Operations renewed afresh with the Tenth Battle of the Isonzo on 12 May 1917.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soča</span> Slovenian-Italian river

The Soča or Isonzo is a 138-kilometre (86 mi) long river that flows through western Slovenia and northeastern Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Caporetto</span> 1917 battle on the Italian front of World War I

The Battle of Caporetto took place on the Italian front of World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luigi Cadorna</span> Italian general and count (1850–1928)

Marshal of Italy Luigi Cadorna, was an Italian general, Marshal of Italy and Count, most famous for being the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army from 1914 until 1917 during World War I. During this period, commanding the Italian army on the Alpine front and along the Isonzo river, he acquired a reputation for rigid discipline and the harsh treatment of his troops. Cadorna achieved successes in containing the Strafexpedition and capturing Gorizia but, following a major defeat at the Battle of Caporetto in late 1917, he was relieved as Chief of Staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Gorizia (1916)</span> World War I battle between armies of the Kingdom of Italy and Austria-Hungary

The Sixth Battle of the Isonzo, better known as the Battle of Gorizia, was the most successful Italian offensive along the Soča (Isonzo) River during World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Battle of the Isonzo</span> Battle in 1915 on the Italian Front during the First World War

The First Battle of the Isonzo was fought between the armies of Italy and Austria-Hungary on the northeastern Italian Front in World War I, between 23 June and 7 July 1915.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Battle of the Isonzo</span> Battle in 1915 on the Italian Front during the First World War

The Second Battle of the Isonzo was fought between the armies of the Kingdom of Italy and those of Austria-Hungary in the Italian Front in World War I, between 18 July and 3 August 1915.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Third Battle of the Isonzo</span> Battle in 1915 on the Italian Front during the First World War

The Third Battle of the Isonzo was fought from 18 October through 4 November 1915 between the armies of Italy and Austria-Hungary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Doberdò</span> Battle in August 1916 between the Kingdom of Italy and Austria-Hungary

The Battle of Doberdò took place in August 1916, fought by the Kingdom of Italy and Austria-Hungary. The Austro-Hungarian army was primarily made up of regiments filled with Hungarians and Slovenians. The battle was a part of the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo, and occurred in a strategic area: the most western edge of the Karst Plateau. The Italians had already conquered the lowland area surrounding Monfalcone and Ronchi, and attempted to push over the Karst Plateau to seize control of the major road that linked the city of Trieste, with its important port, to Gorizia. After fierce combat, and sustaining heavy casualties, the Italian forces secured victory, forcing the Austro-Hungarian forces to retreat, and capturing Gorizia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luigi Capello</span> Italian general

Luigi Capello was an Italian general, distinguished in both the Italo-Turkish War (1911–12) and World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo</span> World War I battle fought between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian armies

The Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo was a World War I battle fought by the Italian and Austro-Hungarian Armies on the Italian Front between 18 August and 12 September 1917.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military history of Italy during World War I</span> Aspect of Italian history

Although a member of the Triple Alliance, Italy did not join the Central Powers – Germany and Austria-Hungary – when the war started with Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia on 28 July 1914. In fact, the two Central Powers had taken the offensive while the Triple Alliance was supposed to be a defensive alliance. Moreover the Triple Alliance recognized that both Italy and Austria-Hungary were interested in the Balkans and required both to consult each other before changing the status quo and to provide compensation for whatever advantage in that area: Austria-Hungary did consult Germany but not Italy before issuing the ultimatum to Serbia, and refused any compensation before the end of the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fourth Battle of the Isonzo</span> Battle in 1915 on the Italian Front during the First World War

The Fourth Battle of the Isonzo was fought between the armies of Kingdom of Italy and those of Austria-Hungary on the Italian Front in World War I, between 10 November and 2 December 1915.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Monte Grappa</span> 1918 WW1 battle

The Battles of Monte Grappa were a series of three battles which were fought during World War I between the armies of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Kingdom of Italy for control of the Monte Grappa massif, as it covered the left flank of the Italian Piave front.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fifth Battle of the Isonzo</span> 1916 battle by the Soča River, Slovenia

The Fifth Battle of the Isonzo was fought from March 9–15, 1916 between the armies of the Kingdom of Italy and those of Austria-Hungary. The Italians had decided to launch another offensive on the Soča (Isonzo) River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seventh Battle of the Isonzo</span> 1916 battle in Gorizia, Italy

The Seventh Battle of the Isonzo was fought from September 14–17, 1916 between the armies of the Kingdom of Italy and those of Austria-Hungary. It followed the Italian successes during the Trentino Offensive and the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo in the spring of 1916.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eighth Battle of the Isonzo</span>

The Eighth Battle of the Isonzo was fought October 10–12, 1916 between Italy and Austria-Hungary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenth Battle of the Isonzo</span>

The Tenth Battle of the Isonzo was an Italian offensive against Austria-Hungary during World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battles of the Isonzo</span> Series of major battles between Italy and Austria-Hungary during WWI

The Battles of the Isonzo were a series of twelve battles between the Austro-Hungarian and Italian armies in World War I mostly on the territory of present-day Slovenia, and the remainder in Italy along the Isonzo River on the eastern sector of the Italian Front between June 1915 and November 1917.

Events from the year 1916 in Italy.

Events from the year 1917 in Italy.

References

  1. ↑ Cavallaro, Gaetano V. 2010. The Beginning of Futility. Bloomington, IN: Xlibris Corporation, p. 295.

Further reading

45°54′35″N13°38′17″E / 45.90972°N 13.63806°E / 45.90972; 13.63806

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.