The front line extended from Swiss border on the west to the Adriatic sea on the East, passing mountain peaks somewhere higher than 3000 metres. In this regard this was a unique front line in human history. The advance across the Brenner pass would appear the most logical move. But the approaches to Brenner were heavily fortified. And since it was fearing the German counterattack from Bavaria, Italian high command under general Luigi Cadorna made it's strategic goal a conquest of Triest and an advance along the line Ljubljana - Graz - Vienna.

So Italian main strike was aimed across the Soca river. But the chosen tactics of conquering and securing peaks first before advancing further proved extremely costly and relatively inefficient. The front line stabilised on the hills above the river and apart the conquests of the city of Gorica and the peak of Krn bloody attacks brought little results. Still, by 1917 (and after 11 Italian offensives) Austrian defenders under fieldmarshal Svetozar Borojevic von Bojna were exhausted and feared the collapse of their front. They asked Gernmans to help them.

In November 1917 their combined forces attacked between the cities of Bovec and Tolmin. Among German officers was also Erwin Rommel, then leftenant, who later became famous as a WW2 general. After gas attack and very short artillery fire they launched the attack, taking advantage of every opening and advancing, disregarding reserves and supplies. This was in fact the first example of blitzkrieg. This unusual tactics caught Italians unprepared and after two Austro-German wedges joined at Kobarid (Caporetto) the entire front collapsed. Italians pulled to the Piave river and after two years of heavy fighting Soska fronta or Isonzo Front was over.

It left behind wretched homes and countless military graveyards as well as kilometres and kilometres of military roads, horse trails, stairways and galleries cut in the rocks, countless rolls of barbed wire, portions, helmets, bottles, stoves and guns. And of course many, many bones of misfortunate participants.