page_title: 1917 in Italy
section_title: October
hierarchical_section_title: 1917 in Italy / Events / October
caption_attribution_description: Slovenščina: Italijanski vojni ujetniki po bitki pri Kobaridu
context_page_description: 1916 in Italy,
  other events of 1917,
  1918 in Italy.
  Events from the year 1917 in Italy.
context_section_description: October 4 – By royal decree heavy criminal sanctions are proclaimed against anyone who commits or incites to commit acts of defeatism (The decree will be abolished on 19 November 1918).
  October 24 – November 12 – Battle of Caporetto, also known as the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo. The Austrians received desperately needed reinforcements from German Army. The Germans introduced infiltration tactics to the Austrian front and helped work on a new offensive. Meanwhile, mutinies and plummeting morale crippled the Italian Army from within. The soldiers lived in poor conditions and engaged in attack after attack that often yielded minimal or no military gain. Austro-Hungarian forces, reinforced by German units, were able to break into the Italian front line due to the use of stormtroopers and the infiltration tactics. The use of poison gas by the Germans also played a key role in the collapse of the Italian Second Army. France and Britain send reinforcements through the Italian Expeditionary Force.
  October 26 – The Italian military disaster at Caporetto on October 25, leads to the fall of the Paolo Boselli government.
  October 30 – Vittorio Emanuele Orlando becomes Prime Minister, and continues in that role through the rest of the war. He had been a strong supporter of Italy's entry in the war and successfully leads a patriotic national front government, the Unione Sacra and reorganizes the army.
caption: Italian POWs after the Battle of Caporetto.
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