This work investigates the strategic and tactical failures of the Italian army during the Battle of Caporetto to determine whether the event should be classified as a total collapse or a manageable tactical retreat. The author, Mario Morselli, utilizes extensive archival research and military records to reconstruct the operational environment of the Isonzo front. He examines the command decisions of General Luigi Cadorna and the impact of Austro-German infiltration tactics on Italian defensive lines. The text argues that the outcome was a result of systemic organizational deficiencies rather than mere soldierly cowardice.

Historians and military scholars frequently cite this text for its rigorous examination of the Italian command structure during the Great War. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which provides a comprehensive technical account of the maneuvers involved in the conflict.