The Operation of the Balkan (Serbian) and Isonzo Front in World War I

The role of maps in the operations

Abstract

In the First World War, the Kingdom of Hungary participated in military operations on the side of the central powers as part of Austria–Hungary. Hungary was not an independent power. Hungary had only one military target, to keep the territorial integrity of the country, which was endangered by the expansive aspirations of the Russian Empire and the policy of the Pan-Slavic idea involving the Kingdom of Serbia.

The Russian invasions of 1914–1915, the fall of a Serbian attack in the autumn of 1914, and the 1916 Transylvanian invasion of the Romanian army were successfully eliminated by the Hungarian army and its allies and secured the country’s integrity until the end of the war.

The Austro–Hungarian Empire fought on several fronts. Another important theatre for us was the Italian field. Between June 1915 and October 1917, there were twelve battles at the River Isonzo. On May 23, 1915, Italy declared war on the Austro–Hungarian Monarchy. At that time, fighting in Serbia had been practically a year old.

Austria–Hungary had less economic potential than its anthem countries, but it also had minority problems which became increasingly emphasised under the German Empire during the war, and its forces were tied on several fronts. As a consequence of this, the dual monarchy fell apart by the end of the First World War, relocating to smaller but independent nation states as successor states.

During the fighting, maps and map sketches, which were included in the reports, were of paramount importance for the planning and outcome of operations. The secrecy of the maps had to be observed separately, they could not get into the hands of the enemy.