Battles Of Austria-Hungary: Were There Any Victories?

Austria-Hungary was one of the main forces in World War I, fighting on the Italian, Serbian and Eastern fronts. The Austro-Hungarian army was divided into two main groups: the main armies of Austria and Hungary, and their reserve forces. Despite mustering around 3 million soldiers at the outset of the war, the empire had one of the least developed and prepared armies in Europe. It struggled to supply and prepare its troops, and its multi-ethnic composition created division within the ranks.

Austria-Hungary's first military activity in the war was the Serbian Campaign, which began when it declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914. The campaign was a failure, with the Austro-Hungarian forces making three unsuccessful attempts to invade Serbia. The two armies faced off in several battles, including the Battles of Cer, Drina, and Kolubara. By the end of 1914, neither side had made significant territorial gains, but both had suffered heavy losses. The Austro-Hungarian forces were replaced after their defeat.

The Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive was a major victory for the Central Powers, with German artillery overwhelming the Russians. The Austro-Hungarian forces, under General Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf, pushed through the Russian defences, causing the Russians to retreat.

The Battles of the Isonzo were fought between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian armies from 1915 to 1917. The Italians struggled to attack due to the mountainous terrain and rivers, and both sides suffered brutal losses. The Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, also known as the Battle of Caporetto, was a decisive victory for the Austro-Hungarians, forcing the Italians to retreat 93 miles and resulting in thousands of casualties.

The final significant battle for Austria-Hungary was the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, which took place from October 24 to November 3, 1918. It resulted in Austria accepting defeat and agreeing to an armistice. The battle occurred as the Austro-Hungarian empire began to fall apart, with the Hungarian parliament proclaiming its withdrawal from the union on October 31.

Battles of the Italian Front

The Italian Front was one of the main theatres of war during World War I, involving a series of military engagements along the border between the Kingdom of Italy and Austria-Hungary from 1915 to 1918. The front stretched for around 600 kilometres, with 450 kilometres of it running through high alpine terrain. The Kingdom of Italy entered the war on the Allied side, aiming to annex Austrian territories.

The First Battle of the Piave River saw Italian forces outnumbering the Austrians three-to-one, but they were unable to break through the Austro-Hungarian defensive lines in the highlands of northwestern Gorizia and Gradisca. The Italians faced the challenge of climbing while conducting their offensive, and ultimately failed to drive beyond the Soča (Isonzo) River.

The Second Battle of the Piave River was preceded by the Asiago Offensive, where Austro-Hungarian forces planned a counteroffensive in Trentino with the aim of breaking through to the Po River plain. This counteroffensive was ultimately repulsed by the Italians, who pushed the Austro-Hungarians back to the Tyrol.

The Battles of the Isonzo, of which there were eleven, were a series of attempts by the Italians to cross the Soča (Isonzo) River, take the fortress town of Gorizia, and enter the Karst Plateau. The Italians were ultimately successful in capturing Gorizia, which boosted their morale, but the battles resulted in heavy casualties and little strategic gain for both sides.

The decisive Battle of Vittorio Veneto, which took place in October-November 1918, marked the end of military operations on the Italian Front. The Italian Army broke through the Austro-Hungarian defensive line, leading to the surrender of 300,000 Austro-Hungarian soldiers. The armistice with Austria was signed on November 3, 1918, bringing an end to the Italian Front.

Battle of Galicia

The Battle of Galicia, also known as the Great Battle of Galicia or the Battle of Lemberg, was a major battle between Russia and Austria-Hungary during the early stages of World War I in 1914.

The Chief of the Austro-Hungarian General Staff, Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf, planned to launch an offensive into Russian Poland with his northern armies (the 1st and 4th). However, the Russians would far outnumber the Central Powers in the east, especially the Austro-Hungarian armies, which were Russia's primary target. The Russians could bring 260 trains a day to their front, compared to the Austro-Hungarian's 152.

On the Russian side, Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich was made Commander-in-Chief. The Russian 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 8th Armies were assigned to Galicia. The Russian war plan called for Nikolai Ivanov, the commander of the Southwest Front, to counter an anticipated Austro-Hungarian offensive thrusting eastward from Lemberg. The Russians also had the advantage of superior numbers, with the 4th Russian Army being twice the size of the 1st Austrian Army.

The Austro-Hungarian 1st Army, led by Viktor Dankl, moved towards Lublin and drove back the Russian Fourth Army in what would be known as the Battle of Krasnik, capturing 6,000 prisoners. To the right, the Austro-Hungarian 4th Army drove back the Russian Fifth Army in the Battle of Komarów, capturing 20,000 prisoners and inflicting heavy casualties. However, a planned Austrian enveloping movement around the Russian army failed.

The Austrian 3rd Army and Army Group Kovess made a simultaneous advance against Ivanov's left wing. The Russians routed the Austro-Hungarians so thoroughly that even though poor roads necessitated that the Russians halt for two days, the Austrians could not regroup to halt the Russian drive. This attack became known as the Battle of Gnila Lipa.

The Russians pushed the front 100 miles (160 kilometers) into the Carpathian Mountains, completely surrounded the Austrian fortress of Przemyśl, and started a siege that lasted over a hundred days. The battle severely damaged the Austro-Hungarian Army, killed a large portion of its trained officers, and crippled Austria-Hungary.

Russian losses in the Battle of Galicia totaled 230,000 men, while the Austro-Hungarian forces lost about 360,000 (including about 120,000 prisoners)—more than a third of its armed forces on the Eastern Front.

Naval battles of World War I

Austria-Hungary was involved in several naval battles during World War I, including:

The Bombardment of Ancona

This was a naval operation carried out by Austria-Hungary during World War I.

Battle of Cinghinarele Island

This was a naval engagement involving Austria-Hungary during World War I.

Battle of Durazzo (1915)

This was a naval battle involving Austria-Hungary in 1915.

Battle of Durazzo (1918)

This was another naval battle involving Austria-Hungary, this time in 1918.

Flămânda Offensive

The Flămânda Offensive was a naval operation involving Austria-Hungary during World War I.

Battle of the Strait of Otranto (1917)

This was a naval battle fought by Austria-Hungary in 1917 in the Strait of Otranto.

Battle of Antivari

The Battle of Antivari was a naval engagement between the French, British, and Austro-Hungarian navies at the start of World War I. The Austrian light cruiser SMS Zenta and the destroyer SMS Ulan were bombarding the town of Antivari (now known as Bar) when they were cut off by a large Franco-British force. Although the Zenta was destroyed, the Ulan escaped, and the Austrian fleet did not engage further with the Allied fleet. The French were eventually forced to withdraw due to a lack of supplies.

Overall, Austria-Hungary's performance in World War I has been described as poor, with sources claiming they only won a single battle, the Battle of Krasnik. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was one of four empires that collapsed by the end of the war, and it was dissolved following the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.

Gorlice–Tarnów offensive

The Gorlice–Tarnów offensive was a major offensive by the Central Powers during World War I, which resulted in the total collapse of the Russian lines and their retreat far into Russia. Initially conceived as a minor German offensive to relieve Russian pressure on the Austro-Hungarians to their south on the Eastern Front, it became the Central Powers' chief offensive effort of 1915.

The offensive was led by General August von Mackensen, who commanded both German and Austro-Hungarian forces, including the German Eleventh Army and the Austro-Hungarian Fourth Army. The Central Powers forces faced the Russian Third Army, under General D. R. Radko-Dmitriev. Mackensen had a significant advantage in artillery and ammunition supplies, with a strong train of heavy artillery commanded by Generalmajor Alfred Ziethen, which included huge German and Austro-Hungarian mortars that had previously crushed French and Belgian fortresses.

The offensive began on May 1, 1915, with a heavy artillery bombardment, followed by an infantry attack on May 2. The Central Powers shattered the Russian defenses, and the Russian lines collapsed. Radko-Dmitriev quickly sent two divisions to stem the breakthrough, but they were annihilated before they could report back to headquarters. The Russian Third Army suffered heavy casualties and ceased to exist as a fighting unit.

The Central Powers' advance continued, and they recaptured most of Galicia, averting the Russian threat to Austria-Hungary. Przemyśl was recaptured on June 3, and fresh offensives were launched, with the Austrian Fourth and Seventh Armies flanking the Eleventh Army and aiming for the River Dniester. By June 17, the defenders had pulled back to Lwów, the capital of Galicia, and on June 22, the city was recaptured. With this loss, most of Galicia returned to Austrian hands, and the lines stabilized in the south.

The Gorlice–Tarnów offensive lasted until September 19, 1915, when it was brought to an end by bad weather. It was a significant victory for the Central Powers, inflicting the largest defeat on the Russian troops during World War I. The Russian Army was forced to abandon its positions in Galicia and Russian Poland, retreating further into Russian territory to shore up its defenses and shorten its supply lines. This retreat became known as the Great Retreat of 1915.

Battle of Vittorio Veneto

The Battle of Vittorio Veneto, fought from 24 October to 3 November 1918, was the final offensive launched on the Italian Front during World War I. The battle was fought near Vittorio Veneto, a city named after Vittorio Emanuele II, the monarch of the newly created Kingdom of Italy. The engagement was the last major battle in the war between Italy and Austria-Hungary.

The Italian victory marked the end of the war on the Italian Front and contributed to the end of World War I just one week later. The Italian army launched a great counter-offensive after thoroughly defeating Austro-Hungarian troops during the defensive Battle of the Piave River. The battle led to the capture of over 5,000 artillery pieces and over 350,000 Austro-Hungarian troops, including Germans, Czechs and Slovaks, South Slavs, Poles, Romanians, Ukrainians, and Austro-Hungarian loyalist Italians and Friulians.

During the Battle of Caporetto, from 24 October to 9 November 1917, the Italian Army suffered over 300,000 casualties and was forced to withdraw, resulting in the replacement of the Italian Supreme Commander, Luigi Cadorna, with General Armando Diaz. Diaz reorganized the troops, blocked the enemy advance by implementing defence in depth and mobile reserves, and stabilized the front line around the Piave River.

In June 1918, a large Austro-Hungarian offensive aimed at breaking the Piave River defensive line was launched but ended in a heavy defeat for the imperial army, with the Austro-Hungarians losing 11,643 killed, 80,852 wounded, and 25,547 captured. On 1 November, the new Hungarian government of Count Mihály Károlyi decided to recall all troops conscripted from the territory of the Kingdom of Hungary, which was a major blow for the Habsburgs' armies.

After the Battle of the Piave, General Armando Diaz abstained from offensive action until Italy was ready to strike with success assured. In the offensive he planned, 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.

Allied forces totalled 57 infantry divisions, including 52 Italian, three British, two French, and the 332nd US Infantry Regiment, along with supporting arms. The Austro-Hungarian army had 46 infantry divisions and six cavalry divisions, but both sides were ravaged by influenza and malaria, and the Austrians only had 6,030 guns to the Allied forces' 7,700.

The Italian Fourth Army began a barrage at 03:00 on 24 October to give time for its men to move into position, with the rest of the artillery joining in at 05:00. The infantry began to struggle up the steep slopes and secondary peaks held by the Austrians. The flooding of the Piave River prevented two of the three central armies from advancing simultaneously with the third, but the latter, under the command of Earl Cavan, after seizing Papadopoli Island farther downstream, won a foothold on the left bank of the river on 27 October.

On 28 October, a group of Czechs declared Bohemia's independence from Austria-Hungary, and the next day, another group proclaimed their independence, officially dissolving the Austro-Hungarian state. On 28 October, the Austro-Hungarian high command ordered a general retreat.

On 29 October, the Italian Eighth Army pushed on towards Vittorio Veneto, which its advance guard entered on the morning of the 30th. The Italian Third Army forced a crossing of the lower Piave, while raids in the mountains disclosed that the Austrians were withdrawing. Reserves, including the 332nd US Infantry Regiment, poured over the Piave behind the Italian Tenth Army.

Vittorio Veneto was seized by the Italian Eighth Army on 31 October, which was already pushing on to the Tagliamento River. Trieste was taken by an amphibious expedition on 3 November. The Italian Eighth Army troops, which had managed to cross the Piave, were only able to communicate with the west bank by using swimmers from one of the most elite assault units in Italian history – the Arditi Corps, the Caimani del Piave ("Caimans of the Piave"). Eighty-two swimmers were recruited by Captain Remo Pontecorvo Bacci, and 50 died in the river during the campaign, a casualty rate of over 60%.

At dawn on 31 October, the Italian Fourth Army resumed the offensive on Monte Grappa and advanced beyond the old Austrian positions towards Feltre. In the mountains and on the plain, the Allied armies pushed on until an armistice was arranged. Austria-Hungary lost about 30,000 killed and wounded and 300,000 prisoners. The Italians captured 448,000 Austrian-Hungarian soldiers, 24 of whom were generals, 5,600 cannons and mortars, and 4,000 machine guns.

The Italians suffered 37,461 casualties during the 10 days of struggle, with 24,507 of them on Monte Grappa. British casualties were 2,139, while the French lost 778 men. The armistice was signed on 3 November and came into effect the following day. The Austrian command ordered its troops to cease hostilities on 3 November, but the Italians continued their advance, taking many more prisoners and reaching the Isonzo River without opposition.

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