Battle of Vittorio Veneto

The Battle of Vittorio Veneto was a World War I military engagement viciously fought from October 24 to November 3, 1918, between the Italian forces and the Austro-Hungarian Army near Vittorio Veneto, in northern Italy. Reinforced by British and French troops, Italy won a decisive victory, causing the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Army, which led to the end of the war on the Italian Front.

At the Battle of Caporetto the Italian Army had lost more than 300,000 men and been forced to withdraw, causing the replacement of the Italian Supreme General Luigi Cadorna with General Armando Diaz. Diaz had reorganized the Italian forces, blocked the enemy advance and stabilized the front-line around the Piave River.

In June 1918, a large Austro-Hungarian offensive had been launched to break the defensive line at Piave. The Imperial army tried to make two converging thrusts into central Venetia, the first one southeastward from the Trentino, the second one southwestward across the lower Piave. But this summer offensive at the Piave River was a complete setback for the Austro-Hungarian Army, for they could not concretize the pincers movement, losing 100,000 men in the attempt.

General Armando Diaz abstained from launching a counter-offensive until Italy should be ready to strike with success assured. But the successes of Italy’s allies on the Western Front, effectively ruling out German assistance to their Austro-Hungarian allies on the Italian Front, brought about a change of heart as Armando Diaz planned an offensive. Three of the five armies lining the front from the Monte Grappa sector to the Adriatic end of the Piave were to drive across the river toward Vittorio Veneto, so as to cut communications between the two Austrian armies opposing them.

On October 24 the offensive began with an attack in the Monte Grappa sector to draw the Austrian reserves. Then, under cover of darkness and fog, the Italian 3rd Army occupied Papadopoli Island in the Piave River and won a foothold on the left bank of the river on October 27 as the Italian reserves were brought up to exploit this bridgehead.

After crossing the Piave River, the Italian Army took Vittorio and advanced in the direction of Trento, threatening to block the retreat of Austrian forces. On October 28, the Austro-Hungarian high command ordered a general retreat. On October 29, Austro-Hungarians were asking the Italians for an armistice. But General Graziani’s 11th Army made further advances, splitting the Austro-Hungarian Army in two on October 30.

The armistice between Italy and Austria-Hungary was signed on November 3, 1918, at 3.20PM, in Villa Giusti, and it became effective 24 hours later, at 3.00PM of November 4. Under its provisions, Austria-Hungary’s forces were required to evacuate not only all territory occupied since August 1914 but also South Tirol, Tarvisio, the Isonzo Valley, Gorizia, Trieste, Istria, western Carniola, and Dalmatia. All German forces should be expelled from Austria-Hungary within 15 days or interned, and the Allies were to have free use of Austria-Hungary’s internal communications.

In the Battle of Vittorio Veneto the Austria-Hungarian Army suffered about 30,000 casualties (KIA and wounded) and lost 300,000 men as prisoners of war. The Italians had 38,000 casualties, including 145 French and 374 Britons. Simultaneous internal political turmoil completed the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire into two nations: Austria and Hungary.

Below, Italian troops celebrating their victory over the Austrian forces