Italian landscape?

[MP]

Pretty sure most of it is Slovenian landscape.

The Soča river, named Isonzo by Italians, runs through land long populated by Slovenes. The Austria-Hungary border was not on the river, but further west, at the western end of the Princely County of Gorizia and Gradisca. During Napoleonic Wars, when the land west of river was assigned to Italy, there was a large depopulation of Slovenes by Italy. When Austria regained the land, the Slovenes were still majority population. When WW1 began, Italy invaded and pushed to the river.

Make no mistake, both peoples bled on this soil, but it was Slovene soil they bled onto, not Italian. This glaring omission of Slovenes feels insulting. There is not a single word mentioning Slovenes in the description.

It feels like the developers relied on Italian "historians" a little bit too much. This reeks of historical revisionism.

[MP]

Additionally, ethnic Slovenes of the area were either drafted into AH army or interned in refugee camps on Italian side where they were treated as enemies and starved to death. You can imagine the effect on local demographics.

[North_Dumpling]

At the end of the day its just business really. Them sending postcards to Italian WWI museums is also just a PR practice really.
I mean would Verdun veterans and alpha supporters get free merch? Probably not.

[MP]

Originally posted by North_Dumpling:

At the end of the day its just business really. Them sending postcards to Italian WWI museums is also just a PR practice really.
I mean would Verdun veterans and alpha supporters get free merch? Probably not.

I thought you were talking about real veterans and was wondering how many were still alive, then I realized you meant the players. Oof.

[Brom]

The landscapes in the game at launch are, in fact, Italian, considering the maps are:

- Monte Fior and Monte Cengio, both on the eastern/south-eastern border of the Asiago Plateau, in Veneto (which was part of Italy since 1866);
- Mount Sasso di Sesto, in Alto Adige/Sudtirol; used to be Austria-Hungary at the start of the war, but nowadays is in Italy.
- Gorizia, Carso (the area around Mount San Michele) and Mount Sabotino; all of which are currently in Italy or on the border between Italy and Slovenia.

If I had to guess, I would say the name "Isonzo" was chosen more because of its popularity: most people who know a thing or two about WW1 have at least heard about Cadorna's infamous eleven Isonzo offensives. But the game doesn't focus exclusively on that front. I do think however that you raise a valid point when it comes to Slovenian rep. The Austro-Hungarian Empire wasn't just Austrians.

[MP]

Good point, the landscape did seem unfamiliar to me and I've trekked the Soča valley a few times. I've wondered where were was the (in)famous Soča Gorge and how it would play in the game. I realize now that Battles of the Isonzo encapsulate more than the namesake river itself. Thanks, I was worried for a while there!