One battle gave the Italian language a new word for disaster.

On October 24, 1917, German and Austro-Hungarian forces launched a surprise offensive at Caporetto, today Kobarid in Slovenia. The attack opened with a heavy bombardment of gas and conventional shells.

The Italian front gave way. The army fell back all the way to the Piave River, and nearly 300,000 Italian soldiers were taken prisoner. Commander Luigi Cadorna was replaced by Armando Diaz, and Britain and France rushed troops to help.

Why it still matters: "Caporetto" still stands for a crushing defeat in Italy, yet the new line on the Piave held, and Italy fought on until the end of the war.

What turns a disastrous defeat into a story of recovery?

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