Today 106 years ago, on August 18, 1917, the 11th Battle of the Isonzo began, the last Italian-launched Isonzo offensive, but also one of the most successful, yet bloody ones.
By August 1917, the Russians were being pushed far back on the Eastern Front, and the British and French were struggling in the Third Battle of Ypres on the Western Front.
Ever since the 10th Battle of the Isonzo ended in June 1917, the Italians had prepared for another large offensive on the Isonzo, which would help their allies and hopefully break the Isonzo deadlock.
The Italians would attack across the whole front but would concentrate their efforts north on the Bainsizza Plateau, an attack which would be carried out by the Italian 2nd Army.
It was hoped a breakthrough here would out-flank the entire Austro-Hungarian lines, and the Italian 3rd Army would then attack further south on the Carso Plateau and advance to the city of Trieste.
The two Italian Armies totalled 51 Divisions - some 600,000 troops - along with 5,200 artillery guns. The Italians would also deploy their Arditi assault troops for the first time. Opposing them was the Austro-Hungarian 5th Army with 18 Divisions, being outnumbered more than 2:1 in troops, with just 2,200 artillery guns.
On August 18, 1917, following an intense artillery bombardment, the Italians attacked across a 30-mile front on the Isonzo
The Italians at Bainsizza captured the first lines of trenches and began crossing the Isonzo, but the Austro-Hungarians disrupted 8/14 of the planned bridges.
The Italians nevertheless still advanced and had opened up a mile-wide gap in the Austro-Hungarian by August 23, forcing them to retreat and abandon the Bainsizza Plateau.
The Italian 3rd Army, attacking on the Carso Plateau, did make some progress, but it came at a great cost of life and against determined Austro-Hungarian resistance.
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