Radeztky’s Marches is monumental. Written by Michael Embree the book is very detailed. It is monumental, in my view, because of the work done to knit sources together to provide at times a forensic description of Marshal Radetzky’s finest hours commanding the often derided Imperial troops of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Having read Michael Embree’s The Campaign in West and South Germany June-July 1866 first, I knew what to expect. That book ran to 260 pages of which 197 were text. Radetzky’s Marches has the same measured approach. Both books are driven by the detail. In that respect the conduct of the West/South German War story is almost a by product. It is the movement of units and their dispositions that count.
Similarly Radetzky’s Marches looks to what each unit was doing wherever possible. Perhaps there is more of the broader story in Radetzky’s Marches – it is certainly a broader war, with different theatres – although the focus is necessarily on Lombardy and Venetia.
Michael Embree explains the forces involved and gets across the naivety of the Various Italian forces and their leaders, as well as their optimism and ultimately despondency. The Austrians appear invariably stoic in the face of attack on all fronts.
Michael Embree takes no sides though, showing that Italians fought as much for imperial continuity as nation creation. It would take another 21 years for Italy to become recognisably the Italy we know today. In that time the French would evict Garibaldi from Rome, then occupy it, while in 1859 help Piedmont finally win Lombardy, before withdrawing from the future Italian capital in 1870 when going to war with Prussia. Ironic then that Garibaldi later fought at Dijon for the French against the Prussians.
The book runs to 470 pages of which 359 are the main part, so you get plenty of appendices and indexes – very useful and comprehensive.
Bibliographies of both books are extensive and multilingual. These show the author has considered many aspects of the conflict in arriving at the content finally presented.
I found the occurrence of the maps, their choice and purpose, at times a bit puzzling: There are sufficient maps so no complaints there. The selected illustrations I did enjoy and found they sat well with the text.
The book is full of minutiae concerning units and individual actions – detailing numbers, losses, names, moves and locations as each campaign step unwinds. You get lots of repetition, so at times it will feel like lists separated by some short text on the wider conflict or preparation for the next battle.
The book starts in 1848 with a preamble to war and then the retreat from Milan to the Quadrilateral. Here the Austrians would either lose Upper Italy or retain it. The four cities bounding the Quadrilateral were the key to the Po Valley and all Northern Italy. The book ends with the recovery of Venice in 1849.
So it is not a typical history book perhaps even in a military campaign sense. It is overburdened with the detail rather than the action. That is what makes it such a delight: When the action does occur it is all the more important. The chronology is there but it is not of primary concern.
Towards the end it feels like there are more “typos”. I tend to be quite forgiving on this matter. I think Helion are well noted for producing and filling unloved gaps in history writing as well as sometimes failing to deliver top quality editing. That is unfortunate given their support for such rare publications. Here it does not do any damage to the enjoyment. At least it meant I was still paying attention to the detail!
If your interests are the Italian Wars of Independence and especially the military activities of 1848/49 then this book is a must.
I can also recommend Michael’s book on the War in West and South Germany. I suspect it would be required reading if your interests are of the Franco-Prussian variety.
Both Highly Recommended
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