9. Italian Front

a. Strategic Considerations
b. Initial Operations
c. First Four Battles of the Isonzo
d. Fifth Battle of the Isonzo
e. Austrian Asiago Offensive (May 15-June 17, 1916)
f. Sixth to Eleventh Battles of the Isonzo
g. Battle of Caporetto (Oct. 24-Nov. 12, 1917)
h. Battle of the Piave ( June 15-24, 1918)
i. Battle of Vittorio Veneto (Oct. 24-Nov. 4, 1918)
j. General Commentary

Austrian Asiago Offensive (May 15-June 17, 1916)

Short Summary:

AUSTRIAN ASIAGO OFFENSIVE (May 15-June 17, 1916).
The Austrians attempted to get behind the Italian main forces on the Isonzo front by an offensive from the Trentino to capture the key rail center of Padua. Difficult terrain, lack of strength, and the timely shifting of Italian forces from the Isonzo front over the excellent rail net in northern Italy all joined to stop the Austrian attack. In June a successful Russian offensive in Galicia (Brusilov offensive) caused the Austrians to dispatch forces from the Trentino and to assume a strictly defensive attitude on the Asiago front.

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Since his days as a young officer, Conrad. had considered an attack from the Trentino as the best method of defeating the Italians. Now he believed the time ripe for such an offensive. German aid was requested, but Gen: Erich von Falkenhayn, understanding better than Conrad did the implications of large-scale operations in the Trentino, refused the Austrian request. Nevertheless, Conrad decided to proceed with his Strafe (punishment) expedition with the forces available-14 divisions and 4 Kaiserjager regiments, which had replaced the German Alpenkorps in October 1915. He planned to compensate for his deficiency in troops by assembling huge quantities of medium and heavy artillery.

The objective of the offensive was to drive into the northern Italian plain, capture the key rail center of Padua (Padova), and thus effectively cut off the Italian Carnic and Isonzo forces. The commander of the Italian First Army on the Trentino front, Gen. Roberto Brusati, had been instructed to organize a position in depth to hold off any Austrian offensive moves there. Instead, he engaged in interminable local actions to improve his position, so that when the Austrian blow fell on May 15, 1916, he was caught off balance. Conrad's offensive made good initial gains and captured Arsiero and Asiago, gateways to the northern plain. Here the momentum of the attack declined because of lack of strength, difficult terrain, and the resistance of Italian reinforcements transferred from the Isonzo front. Under the pressure of an Italian counteroffensive and the necessity to shift troops to Galicia, where a Russian attack was impending, Conrad drew his forces back almost to their original positions in the Trentino. The Asiago offensive ended on June 17: Conrad's pet scheme had been tried and found wanting. Losses on each side totaled about 100,000.