Dubbed an "easterner" at home Lloyd George was nevertheless in favour of diverting British and French resources from the Western Front to the Italians along the Soča (Isonzo), to "knock the props out" from under the Central Powers.

The previous three Isonzo battles had seen Cadorna concentrate short, sharp initiatives against closely defined targets, generally aimed at extending their sole bridgehead east of Gorizia.

This time the Italians returned to the Karst Plateau south-east of Gorizia, setting in train an infantry advance along a 40 km front in order to achieve a breakthrough towards Trieste.

The Italian offensive started the 12 May, with an artillery barrage along the front held by the newly formed Comando della Zona di Gorizia.

In the area between Kostanjevica and Jamiano, the 26 and 27 May the Italian XIII Army Corps managed, after a series of bloody attacks and counterattacks, to gain some ground.

The last significant action of the offensive took place on the 28th, when the Italian Toscana Brigade briefly captured quote 28 (Villaggio del Pescatore), south of the Timavo, but was not able to hold it for long.

With morale in the Italian army plunging Cadorna planned one further breakthrough attempt as he massed the greatest number of divisions and artillery yet along the Soča (Isonzo) river.