Radetsky March and Radetsky Statue in Vienna. Who?

Radetsky March by Johann Strauss is the composer's best known popular piece and my favourite. (See my previous post about the New Year's Day Concert 2015.) Who was Radetsky? A general who fought bravely in many battles, hit by five bullets in one, yet lived through numerous conflicts until the age of 90 plus. Of course marches were written for the military. But why would we peaceful music-lovers want to remember him? He was also go-between in post-war peace process when the warring parties weren't on speaking terms.

Johann Josef Wenzel Graf Radetzky von Radetz an Austrian Field Marshal. Statue in Vienna, Austria. Photo by Gyffindor in Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Radetzky_von_Radetz

Once you have heard the music you can't stop humming it. Like a drum inside your head. Diddy-dum, diddy-dum, diddy dum-dum-dum ...