The Battle of Isonzo is a prominent battle series that includes twelve battles between Austria-Hungary and Italy. The Battle of Isonzo date started on 23rd May 1915 and lasted till 27th October 1917. The Battle of Isonzo location was along the Isonzo river in Italy. According to the Treaty of London, Italy was provided with a few regions of Austria-Hungary belonging to some ethnic tribes of Slovenes. Italy was very persistent to win over the territory2.
But the resistance and defense from the Austrian-Hungary soldiers were very intense. The Austro-Hungarian soldiers were very stubborn in their approach. This is the main reason for the successive twelve wars fought in the Battle of Isonzo. All the twelve battles comprised the Isonzo campaign of the Italians
. The whole campaign included en number of tactics and strategies from both sides of the armies. With the whole campaign lasting two years, five months, and four days, the Battle of Isonzo was a long and persuasive battle campaign. With many casualties on both the Italian side and the Austria-Hungarian side, it was a deadly war with people dying from battle and the Spanish flu. The following are the accounts of the twelve Battles of Isonze.
First Battle of Isonzo:
The first Battle of Isonzo started on the 23rd of June 1915 and lasted till the 7th of July 1915. The Italian forces wanted to capture the regions of port Trieste belonging to the Austrians. The battle was fought along the Rivers Isonzo and Soca. The Italian Commander Luigi Cadorna led the Italian troops. Though the Italians were more significant in number, the Austrians were able to defend their lands. With the battle lasting for fourteen days, the Italians and their forces had to retreat. The casualties were around 15,000 on the Italian side and around 10,000 on the Austrian side.
Second Battle of the Isonzo:
The Second Battle of Isonzo started on the 18th of July 1915 and lasted till the 3rd of August 1915. The next attack of the Italian army involved heavy artillery against the Austro-Hungarian troops. The second Battle of Isonzo favored the Italian army and paved the way for the capture of Mount San Michele’s Cappuccio Wood in the western region. But eventually, the Austro-Hungarian forces under Colonel Richter recaptured the Capuccio wood region, thus defending the Gorizia pathway. The casualties were as high as 50,000 on both sides.
Third Battle of the Isonzo:
The third attack of the Italians was named the Third Battle of Isonzo. The Third Battle of Isonzo commenced on 18th October and lasted till 3rd November 1915. In this battle, the Italian forces added extra artillery pieces. The objective of the Italian forces was to capture the cities of Bovec, Tolmin, and also Gorizia. The Italians were again defeated in this battle.
Fourth Battle of the Isonzo:
A week later, the Fourth Battle of Isonzo started on the 10th of December and was going on till the 2nd of December 1915. Again in an attempt to capture the town of Gorizia, the Italians attacked the hilly regions of Oslavia and San Floriano del Collio. This was again a failed attempt on the Italian army side to capture Gorizia.
Fifth Battle of the Isonzo:
After a few months of waiting due to the Harsh winter, the Fifth Battle of Isonzo was fought during the month of March from 9th March till 15th March 1916. This attack was a distraction planned to withdraw the forces of Central Powers from the Battle of Verdun, which was an ongoing battle in the East. With limited casualties, the Italians acquired Mount Sabotino.
Sixth Battle of the Isonzo:
The Sixth Battle of the Isonzo finally saw the capture of the town of Gorizia. After a long wait, the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo lasted between August 6 and August 17, 1916. This was the most successful Italian battle of the whole Italian campaign. The casualties were as high as 50,000 on the Italian side and 40,000 on the Austria-Hungarian side.
Seventh Battle of the Isonzo:
The Seventh Battle of the Isonzo was a short three-day battle fought between the Italians and the Austro-Hungarian forces starting on 14th September 1916. However, it was a short flight, the strategies of the Italian forces aided in the defense of the Soca region. The Austro-Hungarian forces were facing defeat due to the decreasing support of the German allies. With the casualties of around 20,000 on each side of the forces, the Seventh Battle of Isonzo ended on 17th September 1916.
Eighth Battle of the Isonzo:
The Eighth Battle of the Isonzo, which happened between 10th and 12th October 1916, didn’t have any major events as it was a very short battle. It was a mere attempt to capture the extended regions of Gorizia city. The Eighth Battle of the Isonzo didn’t have a conclusive end between both the Italian forces and the Austro-Hungarian forces. But the casualties were very high on both sides.
Ninth Battle of the Isonzo:
With further continuations, the Ninth Battle of the Isonzo commenced on the 31st of October and lasted till the 4th of November, 1916. The Ninth Battle of the Isonzo saw a delay in the advancements of the Italian forces due to the Austro-Hungarian forces’ attack. This made the Italians halt for a few months till the winters.
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo:
The Tenth Battle of the Isonzo started after a long pause of five months. The Tenth Battle of the Isonzo started on the 10th of May, 1917, and lasted till the 8th of June, 1917. With a high casualty rate of around 1,50,000, Italian forces were not able to advance further due to the Austro-Hungarian forces. The Italian forces were reinforced by the British and French forces. The usage of heavy artillery was prevalent along the Isonzo river region.
Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo:
The Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo was fought between the Italian forces and the Austro-Hungarian forces between 18th August and 12th September 1917. This battle was an Italian victory as the Italian forces acquired the Bainsizza, Mount Santo, and the Banjšice Plateau. The casualties were as high as 158,000 on the Italian side and around 115,000 on the Austro-Hungarian side.
Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo:
The Twelfth and the final Battle of the Isonzo was the end of the Isonzo campaign of the Italian forces. Also known as the Battle of Caporetto. The final battle involved the Italian forces against the Central Powers. The Italian forces were able to advance to the River Piave. But the counter-attacks of the Central Powers greatly defeated the Italian forces. This marked the end of the Battle of Isonzo.
