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Michael White

Analysis Paper #2

“Luigi Cardona, Failure from The Top.”

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“The valiant efforts of other troops were not successful in preventing the enemy from penetrating

to the sacred soil of our Fatherland.”1 These words written by Luigi Cardona, Chief of Staff of

The Italian Army would become paramount to The Italian Campaign during World War 1 and

Cardona’s entire military career. The Twelfth Battle of The Isonzo also known as The Battle of

Caporetto would be the breaking point for a series of failures for Cardona’s leading to his

dismissal as Chief of Staff of The Italian Army. With 11 previous battles on The Isonzo all

started by The Italy, The 12th would be fronted by The Central Powers, With the 10th and 11th

battles of The Isonzo had cost The Italian’s over 300,000 casualties, Both sides had searched for

help in the upcoming 12th battle with Italy itself only receiving artillery pieces from the French. 2

Luigi Cardona has been regarded in modern history as the worst general within The Great War.

His style of leadership can be at the very least called “lazy” and this is seen no better than his

lack of detail when giving orders. On Sep 18th prior to the Battle of Caporetto, Cardona would

issue an order to “prepare for a defensive battle to contain the eventual enemy offensive.” This

order would be repeated the following month with the same general lack of detail. It was this

lack of effort or strategy, coupled with the lack of leadership all the way down the chain of

command that saw no true defense be prepared prior to the central powers attack.

1 Charles F. Horne and Walter F. Austin, Source Records of World War I (Lewiston, NY: E. Mellen Press.).

2
Thompson, Mark. The White War: Life and Death on the Italian Front, 1915-1919. Basic Books (AZ), 2010.
 By the time of the battle of Caporetto, Cardona had fired 217 Generals and 255 Colonels 3 for

challenging his orders or showing initiative. This devastation of The Italian Officer’s Corp

created a severe lack of experience and leadership amongst the remaining leadership. It was this

micromanaging of his troops, preventing any other commander from gaining prestige that

prevented the Italians during The Battle of Caporetto from quickly rallying a defense. This

vagueness of command and lack of ability for officers to improvise for fear of punishment at the

hands of Cardona that lead to the complete breakdown of the Italian retreat, Over 300,00 Men

would be captured by German forces following the battle with many of them surrendering

without being overrun.

The Italian incompetence was mirrored on The German Side by extremely qualified and skilled

leadership. Included in this leadership was a man that would go on to be considered one of the

greatest generals of all of history. Erwin Rommel, then a Lieutenant would lead a detachment of

soldiers to capture 2 mountains, and over 9,000 men with minimal losses. 4 This difference in

leadership, coupled with German Stormtrooper Tactics ended the battle of Caporetto with over

200,000 troops captured by German forces all the while Cardona, and His immediate subordinate

we’re on leave. Following this devastating lost France and Britain would send troops to reinforce

the gap in defenses left by the retreated Italian’s while putting pressure towards the dismissal of

Cardona. It was on November 9th that finally Luigi Cardona would be relieved of his command.

3 John Gooch, The Italian Army and the First World War (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014).

4
Rommel, Erwin. Infantry Attacks. Minneapolis: MBI Publishing and Zenith Press, 2009.
 Following the war, an official government enquiry would be held finding Cardona partly

responsible for the lost at Caporetto 5, Something he denied until his death in 1928. It can be said

that many things had caused the collapse of The Italian front in The Great War, Things ranging

from lack of experience of Troops, Lack of Weaponry and the perilous terrain of The Italian

Alps. But if you look towards the history books not written in Italy, A different story would be

painted, One of little more then a bully ruling by fear and leading thousands of brave men into

the face of death with little regard or compassion towards their lives. The history would be

written of a man who chose to flee during The Battle of Caporetto hiding away in a town

hundreds of miles away from the front while over 10,000 of his men we’re killed. 6

Bibliography: Primary Sources Labeled in Red

Gooch, John. The Italian Army and the First World War. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
2014.

Horne, Charles F., and Walter F. Austin. Source Records of World War I. Lewiston, NY: E. Mellen
Press.

Isnenghi, Mario, and Giorgio Rochat. La Grande Guerra: 1914-1918. Bologna: Società Editrice Il
Mulino, 2014.

"Luigi Cadorna." Prabook.com. Accessed July 28, 2019.

https://prabook.com/web/luigi.cadorna/1398431.

Rommel, Erwin. Infantry Attacks. Minneapolis: MBI Publishing and Zenith Press, 2009.

Thompson, Mark. The White War: Life and Death on the Italian Front, 1915-1919. Basic Books
(AZ), 2010.

5
Isnenghi, Mario, and Giorgio Rochat. La Grande Guerra: 1914-1918. Bologna: Società Editrice Il Mulino, 2014.
6
"Luigi Cadorna." Prabook.com. Accessed July 28, 2019. https://prabook.com/web/luigi.cadorna/1398431.