Maria Theresa

Lore & Background

Maria Theresa started her 40-year reign when her father, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, died on 20 October 1740. Charles VI paved the way for her accession with the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 and spent his entire reign securing it through international diplomacy. He neglected the advice of Prince Eugene of Savoy, who believed that a strong military and a rich treasury were more important than mere signatures. Eventually, Charles VI left behind a weakened and impoverished state, particularly due to the War of the Polish Succession and the Russo-Turkish War (1735–1739). Moreover, upon his death, Saxony, Prussia, Bavaria, and France all repudiated the sanction they had recognised during his lifetime. Frederick the Great of Prussia promptly invaded and took the affluent Habsburg province of Silesia in the eight-year conflict known as the War of the Austrian Succession. In defiance of the grave situation, she managed to secure the vital support of the Hungarians for the war effort. During the course of the war, Maria Theresa successfully defended her rule over most of the Habsburg monarchy, apart from the loss of Silesia and a few minor territories in Italy. Maria Theresa later unsuccessfully tried to recover Silesia during the Seven Years' War. Although she was expected to cede power to her husband, Emperor Francis I, and her eldest son, Emperor Joseph II, who were officially her co-rulers in Austria and Bohemia, Maria Theresa ruled as an autocratic sovereign with the counsel of her advisers. She promulgated institutional, financial, medical, and educational reforms, with the assistance of Wenzel Anton of Kaunitz-Rietberg, Friedrich Wilhelm von Haugwitz, and Gerard van Swieten. She also promoted commerce and the development of agriculture, and reorganised Austria's ramshackle military, all of which strengthened Austria's international standing. A pious Catholic, she despised Freemasons, Jews and Protestants, and on certain occasions she ordered their expulsion to remote parts of the realm. She also advocated for the Catholic Church.

In Their Own Story

In the candlelit Hofburg Palace, Maria Theresa studied the map of Europe, her fingers tracing the borders of Silesia—lost to Frederick the Great. The court whispered of her youth, but she knew her strength lay in reform: reorganizing the army, curbing noble privileges, and binding Hungary with promises of autonomy. As the bells tolled for war, she straightened her gown and declared, 'I will defend my lands, even if I must sell my last jewel.'

Reader's Guide

Maria Theresa is a monarch of the Habsburg monarchy. She begins as ruler of Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, and other territories in 1740. Her reign is marked by the War of the Austrian Succession, in which she loses Silesia to Prussia. She later attempts to recover Silesia during the Seven Years' War but fails. She can enact reforms with advisers such as Kaunitz, Haugwitz, and van Swieten. Her religious policies include expulsion of Freemasons, Jews, and Protestants. Her husband Francis I and son Joseph II are co-rulers, but she rules autocratically.

Did You Know?

• Maria Theresa was the only woman to rule the Habsburg monarchy in her own right.
• She was born on 13 May 1717 in Vienna, six months after the death of her elder brother.
• Her father Charles VI spent his reign securing the Pragmatic Sanction to allow her succession.
• She married Francis Stephen of Lorraine on 12 February 1736.
• She lost Silesia to Frederick the Great in the War of the Austrian Succession.