Battle of Vittorio Veneto, 24 October-4 November 1918 (Italy)

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Decisive battle of the Italian front during the First World War. After repulsing the last Austrian attack (battle of the Piave), the Italians regrouped, and on 24 October General Armando Diaz launched an attack along the entire front with British, French and Italian troops. By this point the Austro Hungarian Empire had started to fall apart. Czechoslovakia declared it's independence on 21 October, Yugoslavia on 29 October, and even Austrian and Hungary left the sinking ship. This did not prevent stubborn resistance at the front, with the British and French having most success, where it took until 30 October for the Austrian army to break. When it did, the retreat became a rout, with no line maintained, and Allied troops advancing on all fronts. The Imperial government made repeated attempts to surrender, but by the time an armistice was signed on 3 November, effective the following day, there was no Empire to surrender. By the time the fighting ended, allied troops had reached Trent in the north and taken Trieste on the Adriatic from the sea, although on most parts of the front they had not reached the frontline before Caporetto.

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coverThe First World War , John Keegan. An excellent narrative history of the First World War, especially strong on the buildup to war. Good on detail without losing the overall picture. Keegan keeps to a factual account of the war, leaving out the judgement calls that dominate some books. [see more]
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How to cite this article: Rickard, J. (4 March 2001), Battle of Vittorio Veneto, 24 October-4 November 1918, http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_vettorio.html

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