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3. XII. Isonzo battle - Caporetto
24 October 1917 - 18 November 1917
The scale of the mass army war has so far been exceeded by the great loss of life and material forces. The Austro-Hungarian Command was forced to look for a strategic solution to the crisis situation, as it turned out in these positional battles that it would no longer be possible to withstand the constant pressure of the more powerful Italian adversary.
Already from the tenth sculpture battle, the idea of counter-offensive has gradually crystallized from the northern section of the Saxon front. This operation eventually turned into the second largest and one of the most successful World War I operations. The Austro-Hungarian Command assumed that the best defense would be the counter-attack on the enemy, and therefore a strategic initiative must be taken. The prospect of a successful offensive was supposed to be at Isonzo, because the transport of forces and resources to the Tyrolean front would be very difficult. Finally, it was also necessary to create a new, unexploited assault force, to achieve success, as the Saxon army would not be enough to make a strike. That is why AOK turned to help its German allies. The German command of this plea, despite the heavy fighting at Verdun, has complied. He temporarily assigned six infantry divisions and several artillery units, which were complemented by five Austro-Hungarian divisions, and the 14th Army was formed. It was commanded by German General Otto von Below. This group should try to break into the Italian interior. The Austro-Hungarian forces from the central and southern part of the Saxon Front, now grouped into the 1st and 2nd Saxon Army, which Boroević continued to command, would join him.
Source:
FUČÍK, J.: Soča (Isonzo) 1917, Prague-Litomyšl 1999.
FUČÍK, J. / PAVLÍK, M.: Sočská fronta 1915-1917, Prague 2008.
ŠEDIVÝ, I.: Češi, české země a Velká válka 1914-1918, Prague 2001.
XII. Isonzo battle - German troops with Cannons
