Battle of Caporetto
Part of the Italian Front (First World War)
Battle of Caporetto and Italian retreat.
Date October 24–November 19, 1917 Location Isonzo valley, in present day Kobarid, Slovenia Result Austro-German victory
Combatants
Austria-Hungary German Empire	Italy
Commanders
Otto von Below	Luigi Cadorna
Strength
35 divisions	41 divisions
Casualties
20,000 dead or wounded	11,000 dead, 20,000 wounded, 275,000 captured

Difficult Progress In Alps

The Battle of Caporetto (or Battle of Karfreit as it was known by the Central Powers), took place from 24 October to 9 November 1917, near Kobarid, in what is now Slovenia, on the Austro-Italian front of World War I. Austro-Hungarian forces, reinforced by German units, were able to break into the Italian front line and rout the Italian army, which had practically no mobile reserves. The battle was a demonstration of the effectiveness of the use of stormtroopers and the infiltration tactics developed in part by Oskar von Hutier. Combatants Italy United Kingdom France Austria-Hungary German Empire Commanders Armando Diaz Luigi Cadorna Lord Cavan Conrad von Hötzendorf Svetozar Boroević Otto von Below The Italian campaign refers to a series of battles fought between the armies of Austria-Hungary and Italy, along with their allies, in northern Italy... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1242x961, 220 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Battle of Caporetto Italian Campaign (World War I) ... October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... The river at at Kanal ob Soči The Isonzo near its outflow into the Adriatic, Isola di Cane, Italy The Soča (Italian: ) is a river in West Slovenia and North Italy. ... Area: 192. ... Image File history File links Austria-Hungary-flag-1869-1918-naval-1786-1869-war. ... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_German_Empire. ... Motto Gott mit Uns (German: God with us”) Anthem Heil dir im Siegerkranz (unofficial) Territory of the German Empire in 1914, prior to World War I Capital Berlin Language(s) Official: German Unofficial minority languages: Danish, French, Frisian, Polish, Sorbian Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1871–1888 William I  - 1888 Frederick... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy_(1861-1946)_crowned. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_German_Empire. ... Otto von Below (1857-1944) was born at Danzig, Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy_(1861-1946)_crowned. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Combatants Italy United Kingdom France Austria-Hungary German Empire Commanders Armando Diaz Luigi Cadorna Lord Cavan Conrad von Hötzendorf Svetozar Boroević Otto von Below The Italian campaign refers to a series of battles fought between the armies of Austria-Hungary and Italy, along with their allies, in northern Italy... The First Battle of the Isonzo was fought from June 23 through July 7 of 1915 between Italy and Austria. ... Combatants Italy Austria-Hungary Commanders Luigi Cadorna Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Aosta Conrad von Hötzendorf Svetozar Boroević Strength 260 battalions 840 guns 105 battalions 420 guns (25 other battalions arrived later) Casualties 42,000 46,000 The Second Battle of the Isonzo was fought between Italians and Austro-Hungarians... The Third Battle of the Isonzo was fought from October 18 through November 3 of 1915 between Italy and Austria. ... Combatants Italy Austria-Hungary Commanders Luigi Cadorna, Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Aosta Conrad von Hötzendorf, Svetozar Boroević Strength 370 battalions 1,374 guns 155 battalions 626 guns Casualties 49,500 dead or wounded 32,100 dead or wounded The Fourth Battle of the Isonzo was fought between Italians and... Combatants Italy Austria-Hungary Commanders Luigi Cadorna Conrad von Hötzendorf Strength 172 battalions + 800 guns 300 battalions + 2,000 guns Casualties 150,000 (of whom 50,000 prisoners) 200,000 (estimates vary) The Battle of Asiago or Battle of the Plateaux (in Italian: Battaglia degli Altipiani), nicknamed Strafexpedition (Punitive... Combatants Italy Austria-Hungary Commanders Luigi Cadorna Svetozar Boroević Strength 22 divisions 9 divisions Casualties 51,000 40,000 The Sixth Battle of the Isonzo also known as the Battle of Gorizia was a decisive Italian victory along the Isonzo River during World War I. Franz Graf Conrad von H... Combatants Italy Austria-Hungary Commanders Luigi Cadorna Arz von Straussenberg Strength 300,000 + 1,600 guns 100,000 + 500 guns Casualties 23,000 - 30,000 (estimates vary) 9,000 The Battle of Mount Ortigara was fought from June 10 to June 25, 1917 between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian armies... Combatants Italy Austria-Hungary Commanders Luigi Cadorna Luigi Capello Svetozar Boroević Strength 600 battalions + 5,200 guns 250 battalions + 2,200 guns Casualties 40,000 KIA, 108,000 WIA, 18,000 MIA 10,000 KIA, 45,000 WIA, 30,000 MIA, 20,000 POW, 28,000 sick The Eleventh Battle... Combatants Italy France United Kingdom Austria-Hungary Commanders Armando Diaz Arthur Arz von Straussenburg Strength 58 Italian divisions, 6 French divisions, 5 British divisions 57 divisions Casualties 80,000 dead or wounded 60,000 dead, 90,000 wounded, 25,000 captured The Battle of the Piave River, known in Italy... Combatants Italy United Kingdom France United States Image:Flag of Austria-Hungary. ... Image File history File links Progress_In_Alps. ... Image File history File links Progress_In_Alps. ... European military alliances in 1914. ... October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... Area: 192. ... Combatants Italy United Kingdom France Austria-Hungary German Empire Commanders Armando Diaz Luigi Cadorna Lord Cavan Conrad von Hötzendorf Svetozar Boroević Otto von Below The Italian campaign refers to a series of battles fought between the armies of Austria-Hungary and Italy, along with their allies, in northern Italy... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ... For other meanings of stormtrooper see Stormtrooper (disambiguation). ... In warfare, infiltration tactics involve small, lightly-equipped infantry forces attacking enemy rear areas while bypassing enemy front-line strongpoints, isolating them for attack by follow-on friendly troops with heavier weapons. ... Oskar von Hutier (August 27, 1857-December 5, 1934) was one of Germanys most successful and innovative generals of World War I. Hutier spent the first year of the war as a divisional commander in France, performing well but not distinguishing himself until the spring of 1915, when he...

Losses

Italian losses were enormous: 11,000 were killed, 20,000 wounded and 275,000 were taken prisoners; also 2,500 guns were captured by the Austrians. Austro-German forces advanced more than 100 km in the direction of Venice, but they were not able to cross the Piave River, where the Italians (aided by French, British and American allies) established a new defensive line, which was held for the rest of the war. Venice (Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venezsia, Latin: Venetia) is a city in northern Italy, the capital of region Veneto, and has a population of 271,251 (census estimate January 1, 2004). ... Piave (from Latin Plavis ) is a river in north Italy. ...

The battle led to the conference at Rapallo and the creation of a Supreme War Council, with the aim of improving Allied military co-operation and developing a unified strategy. This is about a Ligurian commune, see Rapallo for a resort on the Adriatic coast. ... The Supreme War Council was a central command created by David Lloyd George to coordinate Allied military strategy during World War I. It was founded in 1917. ...

The bloody aftermath of Caporetto was vividly described by Ernest Hemingway in his novel A Farewell to Arms. Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. ... A Farewell to Arms is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Ernest Hemingway in 1929. ...

Luigi Cadorna was in charge of the Italian forces and was forced to resign after the defeat. He was replaced by Armando Diaz and Pietro Badoglio. This article needs to be wikified. ... General Armando Diaz Armando Diaz (December 5, 1861–February 29, 1928) was a Marshal of Italy. ... Pietro Badoglio (September 28, 1871 - November 1, 1956) was an Italian soldier and politician. ...

This led governments to the realization that terror alone cannot adequately motivate a modern army. After the defeat at Caporetto, Italian propaganda offices were established and cynically promised land and social justice to soldiers. Italy also accepted a more cautious military strategy from this point on. Just one fifth of the total 650,000 Italian casualties during the war occurred after Caporetto.

After this battle, the term "Caporetto" gained a particular resonance in Italy. It is used to denote a terrible defeat - the failed General Strike of 1922 by the socialists was referred to by Mussolini as the "Caporetto of Italian Socialism". Socialism refers to a broad array of ideologies and movements which aim to improve society through collective action and to a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community. ...

Rommel

Erwin Rommel added lustre to his military career leading a company of Wuerttemberg mountain troops during this battle and capturing 3,000 Italians, winning a Pour le Mérite in process. His genius was shown by capturing Monte Matajur, southwest of Caporetto. Despite not having slept for 45 hours Rommel did not stop there, pushing on to take a garrison held town of Longarone. It was said "Rommel always remained the lieutenant, making snap decisions and acting on the spur of the moment." Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel ( ) (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was one of the most distinguished German field marshals of World War II. He was the commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps and also became known by the nickname “The Desert Fox” (Wüstenfuchs,  ) for the skillful military campaigns he... Arms of the Kingdom of Württemberg The title of this article contains the character ü. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Wuerttemberg. ... The Order Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max (German: Blauer Max), was Prussias highest military order until the end of World War I. The award was a blue-enameled Maltese Cross with eagles between the arms, the Prussian royal cypher, and the French legend Pour... For people named Garrison, see Garrison (disambiguation) Garrison House, built by William Damm in 1675 at Dover, New Hampshire Garrison (from the French garnison, itself from the verb garnir, to equip) is the collective term for the body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but... Longarone is a town and commune on the banks of the Piave in province of Belluno in North-East Italy. ...

See 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
• Seventh Battle of the Isonzo - 14–17 September 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

The First Battle of the Isonzo was fought from June 23 through July 7 of 1915 between Italy and Austria. ... is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar). ... Combatants Italy Austria-Hungary Commanders Luigi Cadorna Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Aosta Conrad von Hötzendorf Svetozar Boroević Strength 260 battalions 840 guns 105 battalions 420 guns (25 other battalions arrived later) Casualties 42,000 46,000 The Second Battle of the Isonzo was fought between Italians and Austro-Hungarians... is the 199th day of the year (200th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 215th day of the year (216th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Third Battle of the Isonzo was fought from October 18 through November 3 of 1915 between Italy and Austria. ... is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar). ... Combatants Italy Austria-Hungary Commanders Luigi Cadorna, Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Aosta Conrad von Hötzendorf, Svetozar Boroević Strength 370 battalions 1,374 guns 155 battalions 626 guns Casualties 49,500 dead or wounded 32,100 dead or wounded The Fourth Battle of the Isonzo was fought between Italians and... is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 2 is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar). ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... is the 76th day of the year (77th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Combatants Italy Austria-Hungary Commanders Luigi Cadorna Svetozar Boroević Strength 22 divisions 9 divisions Casualties 51,000 40,000 The Sixth Battle of the Isonzo also known as the Battle of Gorizia was a decisive Italian victory along the Isonzo River during World War I. Franz Graf Conrad von H... August 6 is the 218th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (219th in leap years), with 147 days remaining. ... is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... (Redirected from 14 September) September 14 is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years). ... September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... (Redirected from 10 October) October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in Leap years). ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... (Redirected from 1 November) November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... May 12 is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... June 8 is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... Combatants Italy Austria-Hungary Commanders Luigi Cadorna Luigi Capello Svetozar Boroević Strength 600 battalions + 5,200 guns 250 battalions + 2,200 guns Casualties 40,000 KIA, 108,000 WIA, 18,000 MIA 10,000 KIA, 45,000 WIA, 30,000 MIA, 20,000 POW, 28,000 sick The Eleventh Battle... August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ...

External links

• 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.

Coordinates: 46°12′52″N, 13°38′33″E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...