The Radetzky March

The novel follows three generations of the Trotta family, from their rise to nobility after Lieutenant Trotta saves the life of Emperor Franz Joseph I at the Battle of Solferino in 1859, to their decline and the eventual breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire during and after World War I. The story is intertwined with the symbolic 'Radetzky March' by Johann Strauss Sr., which represents the glory and decline of the empire.

The novel critiques the social order and military code of honor, highlighting the ironies and unintended consequences of well-intentioned actions that led to the downfall of both the family and the empire.