Johann Strauss Sr. - Radetzky March May 2026

To the conservatives in Vienna, Radetzky became an instant hero who had saved the Habsburg throne. To celebrate, a grand festival was organized on August 31, 1848, at Vienna's Wasserglacis. was commissioned to write a commemorative piece for the occasion. A Song from the Trenches

In 1848, the Austrian Empire was under siege both from within, by liberal revolutionaries, and from without, by Italian nationalists. At the center of the storm was the 81-year-old , a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars. Despite his age, he led imperial forces to a decisive victory against the Sardinian-Piedmontese army at the Battle of Custoza in July 1848. Johann Strauss Sr. - Radetzky March

The story of the is one of military victory, a family divided by revolution, and a spontaneous audience reaction that turned into a century-spanning tradition. The Man and the Moment To the conservatives in Vienna, Radetzky became an