Kobarid Caporetto Karfreit

Nearly three decades ago, the Kobarid Museum set the narrative of mountain warfare on the Isonzo Front to the forefront of its presentation activity, with special emphasis on the last, the Twelfth or “the Kobarid” Battle. In this period, two special, thematic exhibitions were staged on the 80th and the 90th anniversaries of this Battle. On the occasion of the centenary of the historical events, our Museum is faced again with a task to upgrade the narrative with a new, meaningful contribution.
Undoubtedly, the Battle of Kobarid, generally known as “Caporetto”, is mainly the “Italian story”, the Italian “Waterloo”, whereas the terms “Kobarid” and “Karfreit” have to a large extent disappeared from the collective memory of other nations.  In the flood of books on these events, Italian visitors may wonder whether anything new remains to be said about the “Caporetto” issue.
The answer can be found in the accounts of the men who experienced the Battle first-hand. Some of their stories have been published only recently, and particularly valuable are those that were entrusted to us by the visitors to our Museum. We have mainly selected the accounts of the events in the valley and in the mountains in the vicinity of Kobarid during the first days of the Battle. They are accompanied by today’s photos of the former battlefield which are an invitation to visit these places where it is possible to try and understand the experiences and words of the “men in the trenches”. They are complemented by passages of commands, instructions, reports and other official texts of high-rank Italian commanders that were included in the official report of the Historical Office of the Supreme Headquarters of the Italian Army. In this way, the exhibition offers the visitors a chance to reflect on the destiny of people during the horrific era of the War and on the price it charged.
The mission of the Museum can thus be seen right in the promotion of reflection upon what wars bring to ordinary people – those towards whom the lords of wars show no understanding even today.