[4] For some time the Austro-Hungarian commander-in-chief, General Conrad von Hötzendorf, had been proposing the idea of an offensive on the Italian western front that would lethally cripple Italy, Austria-Hungary's ex-ally, claimed to be guilty of betraying the Triple Alliance, and in previous years he had had the frontier studied in order to formulate studies with regard to a possible invasion.

[6] Italian intelligence had been gathering information about an impending enemy offensive in Trentino — and a big one — for about a month, but Cadorna dismissed those reports, persuaded as he was that nothing could happen in that region.

The Italian wings stood their ground, but the center yielded, and the Austro-Hungarians broke through, threatening to reach the beginning of the Venetian plain.

[7] The offensive overwhelmed the undermanned and disorganized First Army, and with Vicenza about 30 kilometres (19 mi) away, all the Italian forces on the Isonzo would face outflanking.

[7] Although the Strafexpedition had been checked, it had political consequences in Italy: the Salandra Cabinet fell, and Paolo Boselli became the new prime minister.