Water vapor corrosion of a simple soda‐lime glass has been studied in regard to its effect on static fatigue of the same glass. A mechanism of dissolution has been proposed in which alkali ion self‐diffusion controls the initial steps of water corrosion and leads to breakdown of the glass network. Since experiments show that an expansion of a glass network enhances corrosion rate, it is postulated that asymmetrical contitions of expansion around a surface flaw, brought about by applied stress, could lead to growth of the flaw in a preferential direction to bring about delayed failure.