A celebratory march for an empire that became a symbol of its own decline.

Music · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Johann Strauss Sr. composed the Radetzky March in 1848 to honor a military victory, yet it evolved into an unofficial anthem and a cultural fixture. From its origins as a folk melody to its controversial orchestral arrangements, the piece remains a complex, enduring, and often misunderstood relic of Austrian history.

The Radetzky March, Op. 228, was first performed on August 31, 1848, in Vienna. It was written by Johann Strauss Sr. to celebrate Field Marshal Joseph Radetzky von Radetz’s victory over Italian forces at the Battle of Custoza. While the piece is technically a march, its tone is notably celebratory rather than strictly martial. Strauss famously incorporated a popular folk melody, the Tinerl-Lied, into the trio section, converting it from 3/4 to 2/4 time after allegedly hearing soldiers singing it upon their return from the Italian front.

The march’s legacy is deeply intertwined with the political landscape of the 19th and 20th centuries. It served as an unofficial national anthem for the Austrian Empire, yet it also became synonymous with the empire's eventual disintegration. This thematic irony was cemented by Joseph Roth’s 1932 novel, Radetzky March, which chronicled the fall of the Austro-Hungarian state. The music has since permeated global culture, appearing in everything from sporting events and promotional jingles to films like The Power of the Dog and The Prisoner.

Performance traditions have evolved significantly over time. When first played for Austrian officers, the audience spontaneously clapped and stamped their feet, a tradition that persisted in classical venues using an arrangement by Leopold Weninger. However, in 2019, the Vienna Philharmonic announced a shift to a new version, aiming to distance the performance from the Weninger arrangement’s associations with the Nazi era. Since 1946, the march has been a staple of the Philharmonic’s annual New Year’s Concert, where it is performed as a jubilant encore.

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