Abstract

This article focuses on the First World War in the Alps. It specifically addresses the Italian-Austro- Hungarian frontline in the Ortler-Cevedale-Stelvio theater by analyzing the case study of Mount Scorluzzo, the linchpin of the Stelvio Pass defenses. The article details the unfolding of the hostilities around Mount Scorluzzo, emphasizing the relationship between man and nature in the unprecedented setting of high-altitude warfare. With the aid of original archival documents it discusses the specific challenges posed by these environs, the appraisal of their exceptionality by both belligerents, and the technological answers they implemented to address them.