Search keywords

Assassination in Guidebook on WWI

Isonzo Front, the Soča
Sarajevo The Isonzo Front Valley, Slovenia

The Isonzo Front Between the end of May 1915 and the end of October
1917, the 93-kilometre stretch of land along the Soča
The 12th Battle of (Isonzo) River saw twelve battles between Austro-
Isonzo Hungarian and Italian forces. The Austro-Hungarian
5th army defending the territory along the line
Casualties Rombon-Bovec (Plezzo)-Tolmin (Tolmino)-Sabotin-
Gorica (Gorizia)-Kras (Karst)-Devin was under the
To the Eastern Front command of Svetozar Borojević von Bojna, while the
Italian army was lead by Count Luigi Cadorna. In the
course of two and a half years, there were eleven
WW1 in Writing Italian offensives and one Austro-Hungarian/German
offensive (Caporetto Breakthough).
Source: Map and Pictorial Collections, National and
University Library The battles caused a huge number of casualties and
material damage, as well as the destruction of towns Slovenians and the First
and landscape. The aggressor – the Italian army – World War
paid dearly for their limited successes. At the end, in
the few days of the twelfth battle, the Italians lost all
the territory acquired in blood, and withdrew to the
Piave River.

The First Battle of Isonzo (23 June–7 July 1915). The

Italians planned to seize the Tolmin area and break
through along the line between Plave and the
Adriatic. With the exception of the partial occupation
Source: Kamra of the western edge of the Karst Plateau by Sredipolje
(Redipuglia), Romjan (Vermegliano) and Selce
(Selz), they failed.

The Second Battle of Isonzo (18 July–3 August

1915). The attackers focused on the Gorizia
bridgehead and the Karst Plateau, but in spite of Isonzo Front
suffering numerous casualties, little was gained. In
the Karst region, they captured a 200-600 m wide
strip of land between Martinščica and Griža. They
were repelled at the Gorizia bridgehead, while at Krn
they succeeded in capturing Mount Batognica, and
the Austrians retreated to a defensive line.

Military camp. Source: Kamra The Third Battle of Isonzo (18 October–4 November
1915). This time Italians tried their luck with a frontal attack between the Adriatic and Rombon. In the
upper Soča (Isonzo) estuary they got as far as seizing the first Austro-Hungarian defensive trench in the
region of Mrzli vrh. Their attempted attack on Banjščice (Bainsizza) Plain from the bridgehead at Plave International
was unsuccessful; the Gorizia bridgehead and Gorizia remained in the hands of the defenders, and the Encyclopedia of the First
situation on the Doberdob (Doberdo) plain was the same. World War

The Fourth Battle of Isonzo (10 November–2 December 1015). The scope of the attack was narrowed,
focusing on thirty-three km from Plave to Sv. Mihael, although preparatory artillery barrages covered the
entire front. Gorizia and Tolmin were likewise victims of Italian artillery, while Gorizia was the target of
Italian bombers and their lethal loads. In the Tomin area, Italian units continuously assaulted the Mrzli
vrh-Vodil vrh section and took control of a few trenches near Dolje.

They were partially successful at Zagora above Plave, taking the rear at the church at Oslavje. They
advanced as far as the Austro-Hungarian front line trenches by Podgora on the north-western slopes of
Sv. Mihael hill and on the western edge of Martinščica. SLOVENES AND
WORLD WAR I by
The Fifth Battle of Isonzo (11 March–16 March 1916). It was poorly prepared and comprised of local Petra Svoljšak, Milko
assaults. The Italians took a few trenches in the Karst, while the Austrian recaptured some positions in Kos Historical Institute
the Krn Mountains (Vrata–Kota 1870).

The Sixth Battle of Isonzo (4 August–16 August 1916). The Italians planned to occupy Goricia and the
Doberdob plain. On 9 August, their units entered Gorizia and forced the units defending the Karst,
especially the Doberdob plain, to retreat. The Austrians held the defensive positions on the left bank of
Soča (Isonzo) River while the trenches there had barely been dug. They held most of their positions in the
central and upper Isonzo Valley. In the second phase of the offensive, the defenders managed to stop the
Italians from breaking through to the Banjščica Plain and thus from entering the Vipava Valley and
surrounding their units in the Karst. The planning of future Italian offensives was based on the fact that
they occupied Gorizia, the demand of Italian politicians to acquire Trieste at any cost and the realisation
of the Italian high command that the sixth offensive had been prematurely halted, since the Austro- Map of the Walk of
Hungarian side had not managed to fortify a third and fourth lines of defence. Future Italian offensives Peace
were aimed at Fajti Hill (Monte Faiti), Trstelj and Grmada.

The Seventh Battle of Isonzo (13 September–17 September 1916). This four-day offensive took place
between the Vipava River and the Adriatic. The attackers succeeded in taking Miren Castle and
penetrating the lines of defence between Lokvica and Opatje selo up to 500–1000 metres. The defenders
 fought off the attacks and prevented Italian units from penetrating through the Rožna Valley and Mark
into the Vipava Valley and across Fajti Hill (Monte Faiti) towards Trstelj.

The Eighth Battle of Isonzo (9 October–12 October 1916). This Italian offensive was aimed at Fajti Hill
(Monte Faiti) and Trstelj. Some 460,000 men were sent into this 4,000-metre section. The defenders
pulled back to the next line of defence between Lokvica, Hudi Log and Lukatič. Further north, between
the Vipava River and Gorizia, the defenders held almost all their positions except for Šober Peak.

The Ninth Battle of Isonzo (31 October–4 November 1916). The offensive encompassed the territory
between The Adriatic Sea and Plave, with Trieste as the objective. The fiercest battles were fought
between Hudi Log and Volkovnjak in the northern part of the Karst Plateau. The defenders withdrew to
the third line of defence between the great Fajti Hill (Monte Faiti) and Kostanjevica na Krasu
(Castagnavizza). The defenders’ main defensive position was in the southern part of the Karst plateau.

The Tenth Battle of Isonzo (12 May–5 June 1917). The Italians planned battles between the Adriatic and
Avče along a 50- kilometre front. They planned to occupy Austrian positions east of Gorizzia (Sv.
Danijel, Škabriel (Monte San Gabriele), Sv. Gora, Vodice, Kuk (Cucco)) and later move on to positions
between Grmada and Trstelj, thus opening a route to Trieste. They succeeded in widening the bridgehead
on the left bank of the Soča (Isonzo) River by Plave and breaking through towards Solkan (Salcano),
Zagora, Kuk (Cucco) and Vodice. In spite of numerous Italian attempts to seize it, the defenders held
Škabrijel. The Austro-Hungarians launched a counter-attack on 4 and 5 June, retaking their positions at
Grmada and Jamlje and reversing some of the Italian successes in Karst. The Italians repelled their
advance at Fajti Hill.

The Eleventh Battle of Isonzo (17 August–12 September). The plan for this final Italian offensive on the
Soča (Isonzo) River was to focus the attacks on the Karst. The Italians managed to cross the Soča River
at Kanal (Canale d’Isonzo), Morsko (Villa Morsca), Deskle (Descla) and Avče (Auzza), thereby moving
the focal point to the Banjščica Plain, where the defender, successfully held them back on a new line of
defence: Log─Mešnjak─Hoje─Kal─Vrhovec─Madoni─Zagorje─Škabrijel. At Škabrijel (Monte San
Gabriele), units of the 2nd Italian army seized a few positions, while the summit remained in the hands of
the defenders. On 4 and 6 September, the Austrians recaptured all the positions they had lost in this battle
except for the ruins of the village of Selo, which remained in Italian hands. This ended the bloodiest
offensive on Slovenian soil.

The Twelfth Battle of Isonzo»

Drago Sedmak, Gorica Museum

Links Visual Identity Media

Government Communication Office / National Committee