Wars and Battles

A Dictionary of Contemporary World History A Dictionary of World History Further reading

Caporetto, Battle of (World War I)

A Dictionary of Contemporary World History | 2004 | | Copyright

Caporetto, Battle of (World War I) (24 Oct.–18 Nov. 1917) A counter-attack by the forces of Austria-Hungary and Germany. It was encouraged by the return of soldiers after victory at the Eastern Front, and directed against the Italian forces. In two years of warfare, these had only managed to advance ten miles into Austrian territory, up to the town of Caporetto (Kobarid, Slovenia). Led by Ludendorff, the advance of the Central powers threatened to outflank the entire front, forcing General Cadorna to retreat. Fighting continued until mid-November, when river flooding brought it to an end and the Italians regrouped on a line running north of Venice along the River Piave, 70 miles (110 km) into Italian territory. The front was later strengthened by British, French, and US reinforcements. Around 45,000 Italians lost their lives, with 300,000 being taken prisoner. Even though ultimately the Italians emerged victorious from World War I, the defeat of Caporetto continued to be felt as a national humiliation and was consistently used in Fascist propaganda by D'Annunzio and Mussolini.

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JAN PALMOWSKI. "Caporetto, Battle of (World War I)." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JAN PALMOWSKI. "Caporetto, Battle of (World War I)." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-CaporettoBattleofWorldWar.html

JAN PALMOWSKI. "Caporetto, Battle of (World War I)." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-CaporettoBattleofWorldWar.html

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Caporetto, Battle of

A Dictionary of World History | 2000 | Copyright

Caporetto, Battle of (24 October 1917) A battle fought north of Trieste when Austro-Hungarian and German forces overwhelmed the Italian army. General Cadorna withdrew his demoralized troops north of Venice, where his new line held, eventually strengthened by British and French reinforcements. Some 300,000 Italian prisoners-of-war were taken, which removed Italy temporarily from the war; this enabled a German offensive for March 1918 on the Western Front to be planned.

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"Caporetto, Battle of." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Caporetto, Battle of." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-CaporettoBattleof.html

"Caporetto, Battle of." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-CaporettoBattleof.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Wear a poppy... for the lions killed in war, not the donkeys who send them... Newspaper article from: The Mail on Sunday (London, England); 11/2/2008
	Seize and Hold: Master Strokes on the Battlefield. Magazine article from: The Historian; 6/22/1995
	For territory and status.(COMMENTARY) Newspaper article from: The Washington Times (Washington, DC); 7/2/2009