PIAVE RIVER, BATTLES OF THE. The river, one of the largest in Italy, takes its rise in the Venetian Alps, flows southeast, then southwest, emptying into the Gulf of Venice, a few miles west of the city. Its flow is regulated by a num ber of floodgates, and along its lower portion is too wide to be crossed except by ferry or bridge.
The Piave Valley was the scene of some of the most desperate fighting on the Italian front during the war against Austria-Hungary and Germany; par ticularly during the year 1917. In October of that year the Italian lines were advanced as far as the Tyrolean, Carnia and Izonzo regions. In the lat ter part of that month, the Austrians, heavily re-enforced by armies from the Russian front, began a strong offensive against the Italians, beginning along the Izonzo front, von Mackensen being in command of the Teutonic forces. By October 26 the Italians were in rapid retreat, losing territory which had cost them months of effort and hard fighting. Two days later the Italians were driven back on the Tagliamento river. So alarming was the situation that Anglo French re-enforcements were hurried from France to stiffen the Italian resist ance. For a week the Italians made a stand on the Tagliamento, but it then became evident that further retreat was inevitable.
Realizing this, the Italians hastily be gan building a line of defense along the Piave river. By Nov. '7, 1917, the Aus tro-Germans had crossed the Livenza, but now found themselves facing a solid line of Italians, intrenched along the further bank of the Piave. It was at about this time that General Cadorna, who had been in command of the Italian armies since the beginning of the war, was relieved of his command and re placed with General Diaz.
Reaching the Piave, the Austro-Ger mans continued their terrific onslaughts, but were held in check by the Italians, along the lower Piave. In the upper Piave Valley, however, Austro-Hunga rian troops still continued to press the Italians back, where Asiago was cap tured, this town being some twenty miles west of the Piave. Along the lower Piave, from Susegana to the mouth of the river, a distance of about forty miles, the Italian troops held firm.
On the upper Piave the Austrians con tinued to make steady gains, where they succeeded in taking Belluno, on Sept. 10, 1917, together with Vidor and its bridgehead. Here, and during the two days, till September 12, the Austrians claimed to have taken 12,000 prisoners.
On November 12 the Italians recoiled on the Austrians, on the Asiago Plateau, and successfully checked the Austrian advance, along a front reaching from Monte Gallio to Meletta Gallic. On the lower Piave the Austro-German forces also made a strong attack, but succeeded only in breaking through at one point, about twelve miles from the mouth of the river, and twenty-three miles northeast of Venice. Here the Teutons made a crossing in boats, but were driven back by the Italian counter attacks.
On Nov. 13, 1917, the Italians suffered several local defeats, losing Primolano, on the upper Brenta, and Feltre, on the middle Piave. At the mouth of the Piave the Teutons again succeeded in crossing and gained a slight foothold on the western bank. This leak the Italians were however able to check and pre vent its widening. Further attempts to strengthen this latter gain were made by the Austro-Germans next day, but the Italians seemed now to have recov ered their morale to a considerable de gree, and the Teuton attacks were se verely repulsed. Another attack along the upper Piave was frustrated by the Italians by opening the floodgates.
From now on the Italians held their ground, and now ensued one of those extensive battles, lasting four weeks or more, which were so peculiarly a feature of the great war. Day by day the line of battle blazed continuously, one side gaining here, losing there, but the gen eral result being a deadlock. Again and again the Teutons attacked, were re pulsed, and then were called upon to resist stubborn counter-attacks by the Italians. Day by day positions changed hands frequently, but there was no lon ger any continuous forward movement on the part of the Teutonic offensive.
Toward the end of December the French and English contingents began to participate in the fighting. On De cember 16 the English launched a fu rious assault against the Austrian posi tions on Monte Fontana Secca, but were driven back by the enemy machine gun fire. On December 30 both the French and English delivered a series of as saults which gained them some impor tant positions on Monte Tomba. Here the Teutons suffered some further losses during the middle part of January. During the latter part of the month the Italians made some positive gains, suc ceeding in pushing the enemy back from the Piave, up as far as Asiago. Down along the lower Piave the fighting dur ing January, 1918, became again furious, and the Teutons made some temporary gains, succeeding in crossing the river at several points. But nowhere were these successes extended; everywhere they shrivelled up before the determined Italian counter-attacks. It now became obvious that Venice and the Italian plains would be safely held against the Austro-German offensive, which by this time showed plainly that it had passed its maximum strength. The Italian command had no doubt been taken by surprise at the beginning of the offen sive, and, being unprepared for so ter rific an onslaught, had had to give way over considerable territory. But what the Teutons had gained in mere terri tory, they had more than lost in the tre mendous expense of man power. It was one of those mighty efforts which dis tinguished the German method of war fare, but in its final purpose it was a i complete failure. Not a little did it, and the Italian defense, contribute to the eventual defeat of the German forces which culminated in the armistice in the fall of 1918.