Seventh Battle of the Isonzo

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


caption=Italian troops entrenched along the Isonzo River.
date=14 September-18 September, 1916
place=Gorizia, Italy
casus=
territory= Isonzo River Valley
result=Repulsed Italian offensive
combatant1=flagicon|Italy|1861|size=25px Italy
combatant2=flag|Austria-Hungary|size=25px
commander1=Luigi Cadorna
commander2=Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf, Svetozar Boroević
strength1=240 battalions, 1,150 artillery pieces
strength2=150 battalions, 770 artillery pieces
casualties1=17,000
casualties2=15,000

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.

A short, sharp encounter fought from 14-17 September 1916, the Seventh Battle of the Isonzo saw Italian Chief of Staff Luigi Cadorna shift his focus from broad-based diversionary attacks to tightly focussed initiatives directed at single targets. This latest Isonzo battle saw the Italians try to extend their hold of their newly-won Gorizia bridgehead in attacks to the left of the town.

However despite the greater concentration of resources upon a single point - as much intended to reduce the severely high casualty rate sustained to date - the Italians' success of the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo was not repeated, and the attack was called off after three days of heavy casualties, on 17 September 1916.

Nevertheless Cadorna's continued offensives along the Isonzo did succeed in wearing away at Austro-Hungarian resources, both in terms of manpower and in crucial artillery availability. As each battle proceeded the Italians' war of attrition seemed ever more likely to wear the Austro-Hungarians into defeat, short of assistance from their German allies.

The Eighth Battle of the Isonzo followed on 10 October 1916.

ee also

*First Battle of the Isonzo - 23 June–7 July, 1915
*Second Battle of the Isonzo - 18 July–3 August, 1915
*Third Battle of the Isonzo - 18 October–3 November, 1915
*Fourth Battle of the Isonzo - 10 November–2 December, 1915
*Fifth Battle of the Isonzo - 9–17 March, 1916
*Sixth Battle of the Isonzo - 6–17 August, 1916
*Eighth Battle of the Isonzo - 10–12 October, 1916
*Ninth Battle of the Isonzo - 1–4 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

External links

* [http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/isonzo.htm FirstWorldWar.Com: The Battles of the Isonzo, 1915-17]
* [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)]