Europe 2007 Part 52 Kobarid - Caporetto - Karfreit

[TheEurozhongguo]

Thanks for your replies. Your videos are always very interesting. Are you still in Warsaw? I might possibly be passing by Warsaw in late May or June. I might be able to call by for a chat, if you are there, or are elsewhere in Poland.

[alanheath]

@TheEurozhongguo I am in London now but I will be in Warsaw after 20 May 2010 and for part of June as well!

[TheEurozhongguo]

I was in Slovenia in 1990 when it was still part of Yugoslavia when you couldn't easily tell what Yusgoslave Republic you were in. However, I do remember that Slovenes and Croatians could often speak excellent Italian and passable German and little or no English in those days. However, when I visited Belgrade, they chose to speak to me in French. When the rest of Europe is taking down borders, the Balkans seem to be erecting them.

[alanheath]

@TheEurozhongguo I remember being in a restaurant in Belgrade in 1986 and the only language we could make ourselves understood in was French! Great times with the Inter rail ticket!

[Packard3spdOD]

Thanks for posting these cool videos of a countryside that I greatly enjoyed a couple yrs ago! The military museum at Kobarid is highly recommended; give yourself two hrs minimum for that. I only got one due to tight schedules of people I was with.

[Packard3spdOD]

The visit to the museum was prompted by the sobering realization that the Soca River that I had gone kayaking on was one of the fronts in WWI, evidence of which is readily seen in the escarpments above the river while kayaking, and that conservative estimates are that three hundred thousand people died on that ~100mi long front.

[alanheath]

I have been to quite a few battlefields (as you can see on this channel) but none are as spectacular as the Isonzo front! Wonderful scenery!

[tinoino]

conosco queste zone.. ;o) !!

[alanheath]

Anche io. Ma vorrei la conoscere megliore!!

[ZIDARVOJASKI]

kobarid noob town

[dimcigar]

yeaah, that's my town...

[urssulas]

lack of cars are u for sure i mean there are probobly more cars than slovenians

[alanheath]

I doubt that there are more cars than Slovenians. Few people have more than one car and most people do not own a car at all!

[urssulas]

i was extragerating but its true that on family of 4 people there is mostly 2 to 4 cars

[JJogurt]

Austro-Hugarians won most of the battles on soška fronta.But it didn't help them much becuase they lost the war anyway.

[alanheath]

Yes, it is the last battle that counts.

This place Kobarid gave the name to the greatest mountain battle in history - Caporetto.

[alanheath]

For those that like to complain about the poor quality of my films this is your chance to have some input.

My Sony Cybershot - used for all films here but one - has given up on me. I do not want to buy a video camera - just a compact camera which I can carry around in my pocket.

What camera should I buy and why?

[errorage]

or 4 languages, english included. Oh and another thing. You commented that you don't speak any languages. Rest asshured that the majority of Slovenians can speak English. In conclusion: Thank you for comming to my country! I appreciate it! (btw i always love to hear people say "i thaught it was gonna be crap but i love it :D"). -Matevž Baloh (Slovenian)

[alanheath]

I did not think it was going to be bad but it was much better than I expected. I was surprised at how well the people in the petrol station spoke English, I addressed them in Italian or Russian and got English back!! When I was in a cafe and shops I spoke in Polish and there were no problems. Wonderful country! Also the same currency as every where else.

[errorage]

no... there were 11 italian offensives, the 12th was a combined austro hungarian and german offensive which was the first show of the blizskried tactic with the slogan "Let sweat pour, not blood" I also really reccomend visiting the museum in Kobarid. I myself have been there several times. And it's a world class museum. Not too big, however still of really good quality. Inside theres also a slide show/movie in 3

[alanheath]

As I recall - and maybe I am wrong - there were eight battles of the Isonzo - the eighth being Caporetto (Kobarid). The other four offensives were in different areas of the front. Where do you live?

[errorage]

nope, there were twelve, the last of which was the batte of kobarid.

search for "battles of the isonzo" on wikipedia :D i can't post a link on here.

oh and i live in Izola, a coastal town. you'd probably go through it if you'd have gone to trieste and then to croatia.

Search for "Izola, slovenia" on video google and you'll find a 3 minute picture documentary (more like a tv ad... lol) on it in english, french and german...

[alanheath]

A former girlfriend is from Rijeka. I will look up your references - thank you!

[McWiggles411]

cool. i wanted to check out that same mueseam

[alanheath]

I really regret that I did not do it now. I will be back in Kobarid (Caporetto) and I had a deadline but with hindsight I arrived home so early which included a visit to a place so close to me that I could have spent the entire day there. The river Soca (Isonzo) is really very attractive. I have great admiration for the troops on both sides who fought in such difficult (but beautiful) terrain.

[McWiggles411]

yeah its very beautiful there.but who won the battle?

[alanheath]

This was a major victory for the Austrians and Germans and defeat for the Italians. After seven battles on the Isonzo river the front had scarcely not changed at all. The battle at Caporetto was the largest mountain battle ever and the Italian line was pushed back to the Piave river. Rommel won the Pour le Merite during this battle

[McWiggles411]

o thanks