. Battlefields of the World War, western and southern fronts; a study in military geography . full Allied controlof the Adriatic Sea. Surface Features of the Isonzo Battlefield The battlefield to which the valley of the Isonzo is the thresh-old, and which we have chosen to designate by the name of thatriver, is characterized by three striking topographic elementswhich deserve some further notice (Fig. 142). These are the Al-pine ridges at the north,the karst plateaus at the south, and theIsonzo River and its tributaries draining parts of both theseregions. A full description of even these thre
. Battlefields of the World War, western and southern fronts; a study in military geography . full Allied controlof the Adriatic Sea. Surface Features of the Isonzo Battlefield The battlefield to which the valley of the Isonzo is the thresh-old, and which we have chosen to designate by the name of thatriver, is characterized by three striking topographic elementswhich deserve some further notice (Fig. 142). These are the Al-pine ridges at the north,the karst plateaus at the south, and theIsonzo River and its tributaries draining parts of both theseregions. A full description of even these three elements of theterrain would carry us further than the fate of the operations onthis eastern front would seem to warrant; for despite valiantendeavors the Italians failed to progress appreciably beyond themargin of the field, and their moderate gains were completelywiped out by the great Teutonic victory of Caporetto. THE ALPINE RIDGES The northern ridges belonging to the main Alpine system re-semble the Alps of the Trentino in more respects than one (Fig. 550 BATTLEFIELD OF THE ISONZO. THE ALPINE RIDGES 551 143 and PI. VIII). They are eroded from the same complexlyfolded and broken system of rocks of varied types and show thesame ragged crests and peaks separated by the same deep, glacier-scoured valleys. It is not necessary to repeat in detail the effectsof such a terrain upon methods of warfare, already described atsome length in connection with the Battlefield of the will be sufficient to modify the account there given by notingthe fact that no peak in the Isonzo region rises sufficiently high tohave glaciers still persisting on its flanks, and so to eliminate fromour present consideration such spectacular features of Alpine war-fare as depend upon the presence of permanent ice fields. As in the Trentine mountains, so in those of the northernIsonzo region, movement is limited to a few important these the Pontebba, or Pontafel, Pass formerly crosse
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectworldwar19141918
