Johann Strauss Sr. - Radetzky March -

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.

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 Johann Strauss Sr. - Radetzky March

Legend has it that Strauss didn't pull the melody from thin air. He supposedly heard returning soldiers singing a popular Viennese folk tune called Alter Tanz aus Wien (Old Dance from Vienna) or Tinerl-Lied . The original song was a waltz in 3/4 time, but Strauss cleverly converted it into a , giving it the steady, driving rhythm required for a military parade. In 1848, the Austrian Empire was under siege

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 The story of the is one of military