Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina, commonly known as Maria Theresa (13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780), was the sovereign ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death, making her the only woman to govern the vast empire in her own right. Her realms included Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Transylvania, and several other territories across Europe, such as Milan, Galicia, and the Austrian Netherlands. Through her marriage, she held the titles of Duchess of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, and Holy Roman Empress.
Maria Theresa ascended the throne following the death of her father, Emperor Charles VI, on 20 October 1740.
Her succession was made possible by the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, a decree her father had labored to secure throughout his reign, prioritizing legal recognition over building a strong military or financial reserves. This left the Habsburg lands vulnerable and impoverished, exacerbated by conflicts like the War of the Polish Succession and the Russo-Turkish War (1735–1739). Upon Charles’s death, several European powers—Saxony, Prussia, Bavaria, and France—contested Maria Theresa’s claim, despite their earlier agreement to the Pragmatic Sanction. Frederick II of Prussia, her most formidable rival, seized the wealthy province of Silesia, sparking the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748). Despite these challenges, Maria Theresa secured Hungarian support and retained most of her territories, though she permanently lost Silesia.
Maria Theresa ruled as an assertive and reform-oriented monarch, despite the nominal co-rule of her husband, Francis I, and later her son, Joseph II. With the guidance of key advisors like Wenzel Anton of Kaunitz-Rietberg and Friedrich Wilhelm von Haugwitz, she initiated significant reforms in finance, education, healthcare, and agriculture. Her efforts revitalized the Habsburg military and enhanced Austria’s influence in Europe. However, she failed in her attempts to reclaim Silesia during the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763).
A devout Catholic, Maria Theresa was a staunch advocate of the state church and harbored hostility toward religious minorities, expelling Jews and Protestants from certain regions. Her reign, marked by both resilience and autocracy, left a lasting legacy on the Habsburg monarchy and European politics.