A series of avalanches on the WWI Italian front killed at least 2,000 soldiers in a single day, making it one of the deadliest non-combat disasters of the war.
Key Facts
- Date of commemoration
- 13 December (Saint Lucy's Day)
- Deadliest single avalanche
- Mount Marmolada, killing 270 soldiers
- Estimated total soldier deaths
- At least 2,000
- Civilian deaths
- A few dozen
- Location
- Dolomites Mountains, Italian front
- Alleged deliberate triggering
- Both sides reported shelling snowpacks to bury enemies
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Italian front of World War I ran through the Dolomites, where opposing Austro-Hungarian and Italian forces were stationed in high-altitude positions during winter. Heavy snowpack accumulated in the mountains, and according to some reports, both sides fired artillery shells into weakened snow slopes in attempts to trigger avalanches on enemy positions.
On 13 December 1916, a series of avalanches swept through the Italian front in the Dolomites. The largest struck Austro-Hungarian barracks on Mount Marmolada, killing 270 soldiers. Multiple additional avalanches hit Italian and other Austro-Hungarian positions throughout the day, collectively killing hundreds more soldiers and a small number of civilians.
Historical documents estimate at least 2,000 soldiers died from the White Friday avalanches, making it one of the most lethal single-day non-combat disasters of World War I. The event is commemorated annually on 13 December, coinciding with Saint Lucy's Day, a significant Italian Catholic religious holiday, even though the actual avalanches occurred on a Wednesday.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 2,000 (other)