Silver cigarette case, circa 1917

This cartographic case depicts towns, waterways and roads in the northern Adriatic all of which played a role in the course of Twelfth Battle of Isonzo (24 October – 7 November 1917). The battles of Isonzo took place during World War I on the Italian Front. In the Twelfth Battle of Isonzo, the German XIV Army reinforced the weakened Austrian troops which had been fighting on this front for over two years. The battle took place on the banks of the Piave river. The German army managed to break the Italian defense lines resulting in the last major German victory of World War I. Unfortunately, warfare was heavily reliant on the use of gas bombs and infiltration strategy. Ulrich, Duke of Württemberg (1877-1944) and Albrecht, Eugen Duke of Württemberg (1895-1954) both served in the XIV Army during the Battle of Isonzo, therefore a provenance to either of these two Dukes of Württemberg is likely.