Seventh Battle of the Isonzo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Part of the Italian Front
(First World War)

Italian troops entrenched along the Isonzo River.

Date	14 September-18 September 1916
Location	Gorizia, Italy
Result	Repulsed Italian offensive
Territorial changes	Isonzo River Valley

Belligerents

Italy

Austria-Hungary

Commanders

Luigi Cadorna

Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf, Svetozar Boroević

Strength

240 battalions, 1,150 artillery pieces

150 battalions, 770 artillery pieces

Casualties and losses

17,000

15,000

v • d • e Italian Front

1st Isonzo – 2nd Isonzo – 3rd Isonzo – 4th Isonzo – 5th Isonzo – Asiago – 6th Isonzo – 7th Isonzo – 8th Isonzo – 9th Isonzo – 10th Isonzo – Ortigara – 11th Isonzo – Caporetto – Piave River – Vittorio Veneto

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.