Bilje, Miren-Kostanjevica

The Ninth Battle of the Isonzo was an Italian offensive against Austria-Hungary in the course World War I. Including a triumvirate of battles launched after the Italians' successful seizure of Gorizia in August 1916 to extend their bridgehead to the left of the town, it ended in further failure for the Italian Chief of Staff Luigi Cadorna. The battle started with an attack on Vrtojba and the northern and central areas of the Karst Plateau. With the ninth battle fought from 1–4 November 1916 the combined casualty total from the three linked battles proved sufficiently heavy to ensure that each attack was of short duration (each less than a week). The Italians suffered 75,000 casualties and the Austro-Hungarians 63,000. As always along the Soča (Isonzo), the Austro-Hungarian Army's command of the mountainous terrain provided a formidable natural barrier to the Italians' attempts to achieve a breakthrough. Cadorna had intended to ensure such a breakthrough in the wake of the capture of Gorizia during the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo, but instead the war of attrition gathered pace. Neither side could particularly afford the casualties suffered but the Austro-Hungarians in particular were finding their defensive lines increasingly stretched. Realising this they continued to call upon their German ally to provide military assistance within the sector. When the Germans finally assented (sensing the potential collapse of the Austro-Hungarian position) and constructed a combined force in time for the Twelfth Battle of Isonzo, the results were dramatic. However, with the ninth battle called off in failure on 4 November 1916 and the Italians undeniably weakened by continual offensive operations throughout the year - 1916 had seen five Isonzo operations on top of four undertaken the year before - a lengthy break was taken for the winter. Operations renewed afresh with the Tenth Battle of the Isonzo on 12 May 1917.

Vrtojba (pronounced [ʋəɾˈtoːi̯ba]; Italian: Vertoiba) is a settlement in the Municipality of Šempeter-Vrtojba in the Slovene Littoral region of Slovenia. A border crossing into Italy is located here. On the Italian side of the border, opposite Vrtojba, is the suburb of San Andrea (Slovene: Štandrež), now part of the town of Gorizia (Slovene: Gorica).

The Municipality of Šempeter-Vrtojba (pronounced [ʃɛmˈpeːtəɾ ʋəɾˈtoːjba] or [ʃəmˈpeːtəɾ ʋəɾˈtoːjba]; Slovene: Občina Šempeter - Vrtojba; Italian: Comune di San Pietro-Vertoiba) is a municipality in Slovenia. The municipality comprises the town and municipal seat of Šempeter pri Gorici and the adjacent village of Vrtojba.

Bukovica (pronounced [ˈbuːkɔʋitsa]; Italian: Boccavizza) is a village in the lower Vipava Valley in the Municipality of Renče–Vogrsko in the Littoral region of Slovenia.

The Municipality of Renče–Vogrsko (pronounced [ˈɾeːntʃɛ ˈʋoːɡəɾskɔ]; Slovene: Občina Renče - Vogrsko, Italian: Comune di Ranziano-Voghersca) is a municipality in the Goriška region of Slovenia. It was created in 2006, when it split from the City Municipality of Nova Gorica. The seat of the municipality is the village of Bukovica

Renče (pronounced [ˈɾeːntʃɛ]; Italian: Ranziano) is a settlement in the lower Vipava Valley in the Municipality of Renče–Vogrsko in the Littoral region of Slovenia.The hamlets of Arčoni, Lukežiči, Martinuči, Mohorini, Merljaki (Mrljaki until 1993), Renški Podkraj, and Žigoni were independent settlements until 2000, when they were incorporated into Renče. The parish church in the settlement is dedicated to Saints Hermagoras and Fortunatus and belongs to the Diocese of Koper.

Volčja Draga (pronounced [ˈʋoːu̯tʃja ˈdɾaːɡa]; Italian: Valvolciana) is a settlement in the Municipality of Renče–Vogrsko in the Littoral region of Slovenia.

Vrtoče (pronounced [ˈʋəɾtɔtʃɛ]) is a dispersed settlement south of Bilje in the Municipality of Miren-Kostanjevica in the Littoral region of Slovenia.

Šempeter pri Gorici (pronounced [ʃɛmˈpeːtəɾ pɾi ɡɔˈɾiːtsi] or [ʃəmˈpeːtəɾ pɾi ɡɔˈɾiːtsi]; Italian: San Pietro di Gorizia. Also Localy known as simply just Šempeter) is a town and the administrative centre of the Municipality of Šempeter-Vrtojba in the Slovene Littoral region of Slovenia. There is a border crossing into the Italian town of Gorizia. Through most of its history, it was linked to the town of Gorizia (Slovene: Gorica), which is now in Italy, whence also its name, literally meaning 'St. Peter near Gorizia'. Since 1947, it has been gravitating towards the newly established town of Nova Gorica, with which it forms a continuous conurbation.

Arčoni (Italian: Arcioni) is a settlement that is part of Renče in western Slovenia in the municipality of Renče-Vogrsko.

Orehovlje (pronounced [ɔˈɾeːxɔu̯ljɛ]; Italian: Raccogliano) is a settlement next to Miren in the Municipality of Miren-Kostanjevica in the Littoral region of Slovenia.The local church is dedicated to Saint Augustine and belongs to the Parish of Miren.Locals enjoy swimming at the local weir, tending to their gardens and farming.

Miren (pronounced [ˈmiːɾən]; Italian: Merna) is an urbanized settlement in the Municipality of Miren-Kostanjevica in the Littoral region of Slovenia right next to the border with Italy. The hill known as Miren Castle (Slovene: Mirenski grad) rises above the settlement to the south.