The genius of Roth’s work is his ability to capture the “bars, houses, railways, and dusty roads of Austria-Hungary through highly distinct individuals.” Roth himself was a strong believer in the empire and made his living as a novelist and newspaper writer. The novel is about identity and belonging encompassing as Roth writes “those days before the Great War.” I came across the book, THE RADETZKY MARCH while visiting a Viennese bookstore a few years ago and learned it was considered a classic by many literary scholars with a story that follows the Slovenian Trotta dynasty through three generations emblematic of the fate of the empire itself. Perhaps the best novel written that conveys the true nature of the empire was authored by Joseph Roth who has often been overlooked as a writer by Anglo-Saxon critics. For some the history of the empire may seem boring, but through the use of historical fiction one can get an accurate portrait of Austro-Hungarian society, political upheavals, and an overall lack of unity. After 1905 the empire was tied to Germany which nine years later would lead them into World War I and its final demise. Leading this “house of cards” was Franz Joseph who came to the Austrian throne in 1848 and was a weak leader who deferred to others in decision-making. The empire was split between an industrialized west and a rural east that produced a great deal of conflict. The military, though large, was partially a caste system with Austrian officers and soldiers from a diverse population. First, the empire consisted of eleven major ethno-language groups scattered across the empire: Germans, Hungarians, Polish, Czech, Ukrainian, Slovak, Slovene, Croatians, Serbs, Italians and Romanians, some loyal, but most with their own agendas particularly those of Slavic descent.

However, beneath the surface there were key issues that would contribute to its decline. It had gone under major industrial changes in the previous decades, had a large standing army, and had reached a political compromise in 1867 that fostered the creation of the Dual Monarchy. At the turn of the 20 th century the Austro-Hungarian Empire resembled a major power.

The radetzky march book