Page 101 - Il 1917 l'anno della svolta - Atti 25-26 ottobre 2017

II SeSSIone - Il 1917. ASpettI mIlItArI 101

This, however, had absolutely no effect on the front lines. In August of 1916, a
further attack followed, which began with nearly a doubled advantage in terms
of soldiers and materials for the Italians and ended with the capture of Gorizia,
as well as the occupation of Mt. San Michele and the Doberdò Plateau. Further
offensives followed in September (the Seventh Battle of the Isonzo), October
(the Eighth Battle of the Isonzo) and November of 1916 (the Ninth Battle of
the Isonzo). These brought the Italian front ever closer to the Hermada, the last
geographic rise before Trieste, which, up until that time, was considered the op-
erative goal of the Isonzo offensive. 13
Hence, the plans for war in the year 1917 for the Austro-Hungarian forces
were determined to the effect that a further attack on the Italian front should
follow, in order to permanently eliminate the threat of Ljubljana and Trieste and,
if nothing else, to forestall further Italian offensives. Meanwhile, it took Italian
military leadership until mid-May of 1917 to regain their operation readiness
and, in accordance with a French request, to attack at the Isonzo front again (the
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo). In the May of 1917, far superior artillery opened a
preparatory fire which was barely known until that time. Despite significant re-
sistance, numerous breaks were made in the Austro-Hungarian front of defence.
th
The commander of the Austro-Hungarian 5 Army, Colonel-General Svetozar
Freiherr Boroević von Bojna, then had to bring up reserves early. The crisis was
so intense that the k.u.k. Armeeoberkommando (supreme army command) felt
compelled to withdraw forces from the north-east. However, by the beginning
of June 1917, the k.u.k. forces, to a large extent, were successful in restoring
the “Flondarstellung”. The barely significant territorial gains (Kuk-heights) were
won at the cost of a significant death toll for the Italians: 36,000 dead, 96,000
wounded and 27,000 prisoners of war compared to 7,300 fallen, 45,000 wound-
14
ed, and 23,400 prisoners of war on the Austro-Hungarian side. However, even
th
after a few weeks, the Italians attacked the k.u.k. 5 Army again, which had al-
ready been weakened through the casualties they sustained through the previous
battles, and achieved territorial gains, especially north of Mt. San Gabriele, so
much so that Boroević felt compelled to regain this section and to leave the pla-
teau from Bainsizza/Heiligengeist all the way to the eastern edge to the enemy.
Then, Mt. San Gabriele played a key role as the cornerstone of the Gorizia re-
gion; despite an intense deployment of materials and troops, the mountain could
15
nevertheless not be taken by the Italians. The Italian casualties in the Elev-
enth Battle of the Isonzo were again enormous, with 40,000 dead and 108,000

13 Ortner, Die k.u.k. Armee und ihr letzter Krieg, S. 92
14 Alexander Hübner, Die 12. Schlacht am Isonzo und die Isonzokriege, Wien 1918, S. 39 f.
15 Alexander Hübner, Die Elfte Schlacht am Isonzo 17. August – 8. September 1917, Wien 1917,
S. 19 f.