White Friday (1916)

The term "White Friday" commonly alludes to the events that took place on December 15, 1916, in the Italian Dolomite Mountains, during World War I. Heavy snowfall and avalanches that day resulted in substantial fatalities and hardships for the regional Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces. Mountain combat in the Alps was emblematic of the Italian front during World War I, as both sides had to contend with severe weather along with the difficulties of fighting.

In addition to the severe weather, it caused avalanches that buried men in their trenches, bunkers, and shelters. Due to these avalanches, both the Italian and Austro-Hungarian armies suffered large losses, adding to the war's already heavy toll.

It is widely regarded as a catastrophic moment in the war that shed light on the extreme conditions that soldiers on both sides were subjected to in the mountainous terrain.