Maria Theresa

Maria Theresa ruled the Habsburg lands from 1740 to 1780 as queen of Hungary and Bohemia and archduchess of Austria. She was Holy Roman empress consort through her marriage to Francis I.

Pragmatic Sanction of 1713: A Habsburg succession edict that allowed female heirs to inherit the monarchy and sought recognition of its indivisibility. It underpinned Maria Theresa’s claim to inherit the Habsburg lands.
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor: Holy Roman emperor from 1745 to 1765 and husband of Maria Theresa. He held the imperial title while Maria Theresa governed the Habsburg lands.
Theresian reforms: Eighteenth-century reforms that centralized administration, taxation, education, and military organization in the Habsburg monarchy. They were the principal means by which she strengthened her inherited lands.
Frederick the Great: King of Prussia from 1740 to 1786, known for military expansion and administrative reform. His seizure of Silesia made him Maria Theresa’s principal rival.
War of the Austrian Succession: A European conflict from 1740 to 1748 over Maria Theresa’s inheritance and the balance of power. Her accession triggered a war that tested the monarchy’s survival.
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor: Holy Roman emperor from 1765 to 1790 and co-ruler of the Habsburg monarchy with Maria Theresa from 1765. Their joint rule paired her experience with his drive for reform.
General School Ordinance of 1774: A Habsburg education decree establishing compulsory elementary schooling for children aged six to twelve. It made basic schooling a responsibility of the state during her reign.
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor: Holy Roman emperor from 1711 to 1740 and father of Maria Theresa. His Pragmatic Sanction sought to secure her succession.
Seven Years’ War: A global conflict from 1756 to 1763 involving most European powers and their overseas empires. Maria Theresa fought to recover Silesia from Prussia during this war.
Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor: Holy Roman emperor from 1790 to 1792 and grand duke of Tuscany before succeeding his brother Joseph II. As her son, he inherited the monarchy after Joseph II’s reign.

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