Third Battle of the Isonzo

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Third Battle of the Isonzo
partof=the Italian Front
(World War I)


caption=Eleven Battles of the Isonzo
June 1915 — September 1917
date=October 18,1915—November 3, 1915
place=Isonzo River, northeast Italy
result=Austro-Hungarian victory
combatant1=flagicon|Italy|1861|size=25px Italy
combatant2=flag|Austria-Hungary|naval|size=25px
commander1=Luigi Cadorna, Emanuele Filiberto, 2nd Duke of Aosta
commander2=Svetozar Boroević, Archduke Eugen of Austria
strength1=338 battalions, 130 cavalry squadrons, 1372 artillery pieces
strength2=137 battalions(plus 47 battalions of reinforcements), 634 artillery pieces.
casualties1=67,100(11,000 dead)
casualties2=40,400(9,000 dead)

The Third Battle of the Isonzo was fought from October 18 through November 3 of 1915 between the armies of Italy and Austria-Hungary.

After roughly two and a half months of reprieve to recuperate from the casualties incurred from frontal assaults from the First and Second Battle of the Isonzo, Luigi Cadorna, Italian commander-in-chief, understood that artillery played a fundamental role on the front and brought the total number to 1,200 pieces.

The main objectives were to take the Austro-Hungarian bridgeheads at Plezzo and Tolmino, if possible the town of Gorizia. Cadorna's tactic, of deploying his forces in deploying his forces evenly along the entire Isonzo, proved indecisive. The Austro-Hungarians took advantage of the relatively small areas of attack to concentrate their firepower on those areas.

Thanks to extensive artillery barrages, the Italians were able to advance to Plava, on the southern end of the Biansizza plateau, and on Mount San Michele in an attempt to outflank those forces defending Gorizia. The plateau was the scene of heavy attacks and counterattacks involving the Italian Third Army and Austro-Hungarian reinforcements from the Eastern and Balkan fronts under the command of Svetozar Boroević;both sides suffering heavy casualties.

Thanks to the low profile held by Boroević's forces, the Austrians were able to hold their positions with heavy casualties, inferior however to those of the Italians. This battle showed Boroević's tactical brilliance despite the limited scope of the campaign.

The lull in action lasted barely two weeks after which the Italian offensive started anew. [ [http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/isonzo.htm FirstWorldWar.Com: The Battles of the Isonzo, 1915-17] ] [ [http://www.worldwar1.com/itafront/ison1915.htm WorldWar1.com: Isonzo 1915] ]

ee also

*First Battle of the Isonzo - 23 June–7 July, 1915
*Second Battle of the Isonzo - 18 July–3 August, 1915
*Fourth Battle of the Isonzo - 10 November–2 December, 1915
*Fifth Battle of the Isonzo - 9 March–17 March, 1916
*Sixth Battle of the Isonzo - 6 August–17 August, 1916
*Seventh Battle of the Isonzo - 14 September–17 September, 1916
*Eighth Battle of the Isonzo - 10 October–12 October, 1916
*Ninth Battle of the Isonzo - 1 November–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

References

External links

* [http://www.firstworldwar.com/maps/italianfront.htm Battlefield Maps: Italian Front]
* [http://www.worldwar1.com/itafront/isonzo11.htm 11 battles at the Isonzo]
* [http://www.potimiruvposocju.si/ 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.
* [http://www.kobariski-muzej.si/ang/razstave.html The Kobarid Museum (in English)]
* [http://drustvo-soskafronta.si/ Društvo Soška Fronta (in Slovenian)]
* [http://prohereditate.com/en/ Pro Hereditate - extensive site (in En/It/Sl)]

Further reading

*Bauer, E., 1985: Der Lowe vom Isonzo, Feldmarschall Svetozar Boroević de Bojna. Aufl. Styria. Graz
*Boroević, S., 1923: O vojni proti Italiji (prevod iz nemškega jezika). Ljubljana
*Comando supremo R.E. Italiano, 1916: Addestramento della fanteria al combattimento. Roma. Tipografia del Senato

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