First Battle of the Isonzo

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Eleven Battles of the Isonzo
June 1915 — September 1917

Date	June 23—July 7, 1915
Location	Isonzo River, northeast Italy
Result	Austro-Hungarian victory

Combatants

Italy

Austria-Hungary

Commanders

Luigi Cadorna,
Emanuele Filiberto

Conrad von Hötzendorf,
Svetozar Boroević

Strength

200,000 (252 battalions, 111 cavalry squadrons, 700 guns)

100,000 (84 battalions, 13 cavalry squadrons, 354 guns)

Casualties

16,000

10,000

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 First Battle of the Isonzo was fought between Italians and Austro-Hungarians on the Italian Front in World War I, between June 23 and July 7, 1915.

The Italians' aim was to drive the Austrians away from their defensive positions along the Isonzo River and on the nearby mountains.

Although the Italians enjoyed a 2:1 numeric superiority, their offensive failed because the Austrians had the advantage of fighting from uphill positions, and because the Italians attacked after an insufficient artillery barrage, so that their assault was effectively halted by the still-intact enemy barbed-wire fences.

Early in July the Austrian commander, Svetozar Boroević, got two reinforcement divisions, which put an end to the Italian efforts at breaking through the Austrian lines.

The final Italian gains were minimal: the bridgehead at Tolmino, beyond the river, and the heights near Plezzo.