Radetzky March story
Radetzky March (German: Radetzkymarsch) is a 1932 novel by Joseph Roth chronicling the decline and fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire via the story of the Trotta family. Radetzkymarsch is an early example of a story that features the recurring participation of a historical figure, in this case the Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria (1830–1916). Roth continues his account of the Trotta family to the time of the Anschluss in his The Emperor's Tomb (Kapuzinergruft, 1938). The novel was published in English translation in 1933, and in a new, more literal, translation in 1995.
18 total · 2 choice · 9 major · 7 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| father and son | choice | the book centered mostly on the relationship between the second Trotta and the Third, but somewhat too the first and the second |
| patriotism | choice | the Trotta's passionate loyalty their dying empire and Emperor was central to the story |
| conservative vs. liberal | major | we saw the traditionalists support empire contraposed with various liberalists cheering for its fall |
| coping with aging | major | especially the second Baron Trotta felt his age, as did the Emperor |
| coping with the death of a friend | major | Lt. Trotta's Doctor friend died suddenly in a duel. |
| family honor | major | the topic of honor recurred in the guise of dueling over honor, honoring debts, and serving the emperor being a point of honor for the Trottas |
| honor | major | the topic of honor recurred in the guise of dueling over honor, honoring debts, and serving the emperor being a point of honor for the Trottas |
| human parenting | major | especially the second Baron Trotta deliberated with himself about how to raise his son |
| loyalty to a friend | major | Lt. Trotta's loyalty to his friends was conspicuous: Doctor and duel, then Wagner and gambling |
| problem gambling in society | major | scrupulous Kapturak ran a casino and enticed Wagner deep into gambling debts which destroyed him - this became a central topic in the latter half of the book |