Summary
Joseph Roth: Radetzky March
There is no doubt: *Radetzky March* by Joseph Roth is one of the most significant novels written in German in the 20th century, and the literary genius of its author stands alongside those of Thomas Mann, Alfred Döblin or Robert Musil. To the beats of the famous Strauss march, ironically, but not without compassion, Roth depicts nothing less than an empire - a universe in decline. Although he sees and records everything - from barracks and provincial mud to Viennese residences and cafes - the fate of three generations of the Trotta family is at the center of his interest; and for the Trotta family, everything begins and ends with the emperor. From the grandfather, who saved the young Franja Josip on the battlefield after gaining the noble title of baron, through the son, who serves as a clerk under the emperor's portrait, all the way to the grandson, who at the beginning of the Great War dies for the emperor and a bucket of water - the rise and fall of the Trotta family takes place under the cold, blue gaze of the monarch with whom Austria-Hungary will also disappear. Perfectly adapted to the time of disaster in which it was created, but also to the ear of a modern reader, *Radetzky March* exudes exceptional elegance and psychological persuasiveness, subtle humor and uncompromisingness. Speaking about the ideals and delusions of a time and about the barren beauty of a world in decline, Roth also tells the story of the origin of the world we live in, often prophetically warning about what eroded its cradle.
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