| Seventh Battle of the Isonzo | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theItalian Front (First World War) | |||||||||
 Italian troops with a captured Austrian machine gun | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Italy |  Austria-Hungary | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 17,000–21,000 | 20,000[1] | ||||||||
TheSeventh Battle of the Isonzo was fought from 14 to 17 September 1916 between the armies of theKingdom of Italy and those ofAustria-Hungary. It followed the Italian successes during theTrentino Offensive and theSixth Battle of the Isonzo in the spring of 1916.[2]
A short, sharp encounter fought from 14 to 17 September 1916, the Seventh Battle of the Isonzo saw Italian Chief of StaffLuigi Cadorna shift his focus from broad-based diversionary attacks to tightly focused initiatives directed at single targets.[3] This latest Isonzo battle saw the Italian Third Army, with a large amount of artillery, attack on the Carso toward Nova Vas. Following a successful first day, Nova Vas was assaulted on the second day with substantial artillery bombardments on German bunkers. Within minutes of the Italians ceasing fire, the Austro-Hungarian forces surrendered.[4]
Nevertheless, Cadorna's continued offensives along theSoča (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.[5]
45°55′59″N13°36′58″E / 45.9330°N 13.6160°E /45.9330; 13.6160