The Italians marched out of their country, imagining a light and easy campaign, but they did not expect that, as they crossed the Alps and prepared to enter Austria to claim its lands, they would run into an impregnable line of defense!
Mainz had only a limited number of troops at his disposal, so he assigned Moder a force of just 10,000 soldiers.
Moreover, most of these 10,000 troops were not German but Austrian soldiers. Moder would have to train and integrate them while simultaneously fighting, gradually transforming them into disciplined, German-style troops—a difficult task to achieve in such a short time. Yet Moder did not complain. On the contrary, he welcomed the challenge enthusiastically.
For Moder, this was his first opportunity to lead troops independently, and he was eager to prove himself. His experience as a regimental staff officer had provided him with extensive combat planning knowledge, giving him strategic vision far superior to other generals of his age. While not as seasoned as he would be by 1942, Moder in 1919 was already formidable—at least half as capable as he would later become.
The Italians, though stronger in numbers, were overconfident and careless. They underestimated the difficulty of the campaign and the strength of their opponent. Their ambition was to seize Austria's northeastern regions, monopolize the Alps, and turn them into commanding heights to secure their own territory. From there, they imagined they could dominate Europe and even revive the glory of the Roman Empire.
Their dreams, however, ignored a crucial reality: marching from the Italian mainland, they were already in a vulnerable position, exposed to Austrian forces stationed on the high ground. Occupying the commanding heights would make attacks easier, but reaching them meant suffering under enemy fire and disadvantageous terrain.
Model was one step ahead of the Italians. After surveying the battlefield, he immediately began planning his tactics.
In 1941, on the Soviet-German front, the Germans had developed a new defensive tactic—the elastic defense—during the Battle of Moscow. Instead of deploying troops rigidly on the front lines to hold at all costs, they concentrated forces and placed only a small contingent at the front. These front-line troops could respond flexibly to enemy advances, while mobile units, including armored and motorized forces, maneuvered to strike the enemy flanks and rear.
This defensive strategy turned the tables: defenders could counterattack effectively while the enemy assumed they were passively engaging. By exploiting gaps in enemy lines, German forces could encircle and annihilate advancing troops, as had been repeatedly proven against the Soviet army since June 22, 1941. Even against overwhelming numbers, strategic counterattacks caused massive enemy casualties while minimizing German losses.
In the Battle of Mars, walter model demonstrated similar brilliance. Facing two million elite Russian troops under General Zhukov, he used only 250,000 men to thwart enemy counterattacks, inflicting up to 500,000 casualties. His success gave the German army renewed morale and tactical insights for future operations.
By 1919, Model had yet to prove himself on the battlefield and had not earned the title of Imperial Shield. But against the careless, overconfident Italian army, the young captain's eyes shone with determination. He was ready to demonstrate his talent and courage, and the Italian army would serve as the perfect proving ground.