First Battle of the Isonzo
First Battle of the Isonzo
The First Battle of the Isonzo was fought on the northeastern Italian Front during World War I, from June 23 to July 7, 1915. Italy tried to drive Austro-Hungarian forces away from the Isonzo river and its surrounding mountains and hoped to capture Trieste.
Despite having more troops, the Italians failed to break through. They launched frontal assaults after short artillery barrages, while the Austro-Hungarians defended from uphill positions and strong fortifications that were hard to overcome.
The Italians had some initial gains: they took Krn (Monte Nero), the Kolovrat Plateau, and high ground around Bovec. But they could not dislodge the enemy from the high ground between Tolmin and the Isonzo. The fiercest fighting occurred around Gorizia, where street-by-street fighting mixed with artillery fire. Italian forces reached the suburbs but were pushed back. They also held small footholds at Sagrado and Redipuglia on the Karst Plateau southeast of Gorizia.
On the Austrian side, General Svetozar Boroević strengthened the Fifth Army in early July with two additional divisions, stopping the Italian breakthrough. By the end of the battle, Italian gains were minimal: in the north they captured heights above Bovec (Mount Kanin); in the south they took some western ridges of the Karst Plateau near Fogliano Redipuglia and Monfalcone.
The battle ended inconclusively and was followed by the Second Battle of the Isonzo.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 06:03 (CET).