Tegetthoff's sailors celebrate with the Venetian cry of "Viva San Marco," even though the fleet has just defeated the Kingdom of Italy. Austrian naval personnel included Croatians, Venetians, and other groups, and not every Venetian community viewed Italian annexation in the same way. Their victory cry separates regional identity from the national categories later histories can impose on the crews. This moment adds social and political texture to a battle often told only through national flags and admirals.
Notable Point · 46:28-46:58
Venetian crews salute an Austrian victory
The Austrian fleet's Venetian and Croatian sailors complicate any simple nationalist account of Italy fighting to liberate uniformly willing territories.