Maria Theresa

Maria Theresa was one of the most important rulers in European history of the 18th century. She was born in 1717 in Vienna and ruled from 1740 until her death in 1780. She governed a large group of lands known as the Habsburg monarchy. A monarchy is a system where a king or queen rules a country. Maria Theresa was the only woman to rule these lands in her own right. Her rule shaped politics, government, and daily life in much of central Europe.

Maria Theresa became ruler after the death of her father, Charles VI. He was the Holy Roman Emperor and head of the Habsburg family. Before his death, he issued the Pragmatic Sanction, a legal order that allowed his daughter to inherit his lands. Many European rulers did not accept this rule. As a result, Maria Theresa faced immediate challenges. Several countries tried to take Habsburg lands. This conflict became known as the War of the Austrian Succession. A war of succession happens when countries fight over who should inherit a throne.

During the early years of her rule, Maria Theresa worked to defend her territories. She lost some land, such as Silesia, to Prussia under King Frederick II. Prussia was a strong military state in northern Europe. Even so, Maria Theresa kept most of her lands. These included Austria, Bohemia, Hungary, and parts of Italy and the Netherlands. She was crowned Queen of Hungary in 1741. Hungary was one of the most important parts of her monarchy.

Maria Theresa ruled as an absolute monarch. This means she held strong central power. At the same time, she made many reforms. Reforms are changes meant to improve how a system works. She reorganized the government and made it more efficient. She improved tax collection so the state could raise money more fairly. She also strengthened the army. A strong army was important to protect the monarchy from enemies.

Education was another area of change during her reign. Maria Theresa introduced compulsory primary education in many parts of her lands. Compulsory means required by law. Children were expected to attend school, which was a new idea at the time. She also reformed the legal system. Laws were made more uniform across her territories. Torture was limited and later banned in many cases. Courts were organized more clearly.

Maria Theresa was married to Francis Stephen of Lorraine. He became Holy Roman Emperor in 1745. Even though he held the title, Maria Theresa remained the main ruler of the Habsburg lands. Together, they had sixteen children. One of them was Joseph II, who later ruled after her death. Another was Marie Antoinette, who became Queen of France. Maria Theresa died in 1780 in Vienna. Her long reign left a strong mark on European history.