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What is Maria Theresa best known for?
Maria Theresa was the most important ruler of the age of Enlightened Absolutism and one of the most famous Habsburgs. She took over the reins of government on the death of her father Charles VI and implemented numerous enduring reforms.
How did Maria Theresa treat peasants?
During 1771–78, Empress Maria Theresa introduced a series of patents regulating and restricting peasant labour, though only in the German and Bohemian parts of the empire, for the Hungarian nobility strongly resisted.
What did Mary Theresa do?
Maria Theresa promulgated institutional, financial, medical and educational reforms, with the assistance of Wenzel Anton of Kaunitz-Rietberg, Friedrich Wilhelm von Haugwitz and Gerard van Swieten.
What was Maria Theresa legacy?
Legacy. Maria Theresa was a key figure in the power politics of 18th-century Europe. To the Habsburg monarchy, a dynastic agglomeration of disparate lands, she gave a measure of unity.
What effect did Maria Theresa have on the power of the nobility?
Austria's empress, Maria Theresa, remained as wedded to absolutism as Frederick the Great. But, unlike Frederick, she had initiated reforms, cautiously and gradually reducing the powers of the nobles over their serfs and their overall power in her realm – except in that part of her realm that was Hungary.
What made Maria Theresa an absolute monarch?
The reason why she was put in as an absolute ruler in the first place was because her father, Charles VI, wanted the Hapsburgs to continue to rule the Austrian throne but he had no male heir.
Is there still a country called Austria?
Austria is a landlocked country of approximately 8.95 million inhabitants in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west.
How did Maria Theresa consolidate her power?
How did Maria Theresa of Austria consolidate her power? By defining herself as the "benevolent mother of her people", she chose a policy of closeness to the people, which represented a break from traditional power. She turned the age-old weakness of women into her personal brand and a strength.
What were Maria Theresa enlightened accomplishments?
Maria Theresa implemented significant reforms to strengthen Austria's military and bureaucratic efficiency. She improved the economy of the state, introduced a national education system, and contributed to important reforms in medicine.
What was Maria Theresa's nickname?
fat ladyThe Maria Theresa thaler was first minted in 1741 and bore several different likenesses of her. After 1780 the two-gulden silver coin showed a portrait of the sovereign in old age with a widow's veil; the corpulent baroque form depicted led to her being given the unflattering nickname of the 'fat lady' in English.
How many babies did Maria Theresa have?
It is well known that Maria Theresa gave birth to 16 children. But, who were they and what became of them? it! Maria Theresa of the House of Habsburg (1717-1780) is undoubtedly one of the most important monarchs in the history of the country, especially in the era of enlightened absolutism.
Where is Maria Theresa buried?
Kaisergruft, Vienna, AustriaMaria Theresa / Place of burialThe Imperial Crypt, also called the Capuchin Crypt, is a burial chamber beneath the Capuchin Church and monastery in Vienna, Austria. It was founded in 1618 and dedicated in 1632, and located on the Neuer Markt square of the Innere Stadt, near the Hofburg Palace. Wikipedia
What did Maria Theresa believe in?
Maria Theresa was a devout Roman Catholic and believed that religious unity was necessary for a peaceful public life. Consequently, she explicitly rejected the idea of religious toleration but never allowed the Church to interfere with what she considered to be prerogatives of a monarch and kept Rome at arm's length.
Who was Maria Theresa's favorite daughter?
In 1742 was born the fifth child of the imperial couple Maria Christine . “Mimi,” as she was called by her mother, was considered Maria Theresa's favorite daughter.
How did Maria Theresa consolidate her power?
How did Maria Theresa of Austria consolidate her power? By defining herself as the "benevolent mother of her people", she chose a policy of closeness to the people, which represented a break from traditional power. She turned the age-old weakness of women into her personal brand and a strength.
What were Maria Theresa enlightened accomplishments?
Maria Theresa implemented significant reforms to strengthen Austria's military and bureaucratic efficiency. She improved the economy of the state, introduced a national education system, and contributed to important reforms in medicine.
How did Maria Theresa influence Austria?
Maria Theresa was thus responsible for changing Austrian physicians' negative view of inoculation.
How old was Maria Theresa when she became the Austrian king?
Maria Theresa was only 23 years old when she ascended to the Austrian throne in 1740. Though the official ruler was actually her husband, Francis I, she governed the Habsburg monarchy evenhandedly. Realizing the need for a sizable standing army and in order to maintain one, Maria Theresa accepted the plans of Count Friedrich.
What prevented Austrian lands from division unlike Germany?
Austrian neutrality had prevented its lands from division unlike Germany.
Who was the first female emperor of Austria?
Maria Theresa was Archduchess of Austria, the first and only female ruler of Austria for the 650 years of Austrian history. She was the daughter of Charles II, Holy Roman Emperor, whose only son died in 1716 when he was just a baby. Maria Theresa, being a woman, could not succeed to the imperial throne of the Holy Roman Empire, but she succeeded to the royal thrones of Croatia, Dalmatia and Bohemia. She eventually became Holy Roman Empress, when she married Francis I, her father's succesor. She was the de facto ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. Francis I and Maria Theresa had 16 children - their 15th child and youngest daughter was the famous Marie Antoinette.
Who was Marie Antoinette's youngest daughter?
Her youngest daughter was Maria Antonia Jozepha Johanna von Habsburg-Lotharingen, or Marie Antoinette. She was born in 1755, and she became the wife of the well-known Louis XVI of France. Both of them was executed in 1793. Louis convicted with treason, and Marie Antoinette was put on trial for treason and theft, as well as a false and disturbing charge of sexual abuse against her own son.
Is Habsburg-Lothringia still in Austria?
That the house of habsburg-lothringia no longer rule Austria today and the austrians are anti-monarchs.
Who was Queen Marie Antoinette's daughter?
In foreign affairs she swung the Empire towards an alliance with the old enemy france, partly with marriages like the marriage of her daughter Maria Antonia to Louis, Dauphin of France (later becoming the ill-fated Queen Marie Antoinette).
Who Was Maria Theresa?
In 1740, Maria Theresa succeeded the Habsburg throne. In resistance, Frederick II’s army invaded and claimed Silesia. The war ended in 1748, after which she reformed her government and military. In 1756 Frederick II waged the Seven Years' War against her. In 1765 she appointed her son her co-regent. She died on November 29, 1780, in Vienna, Austria.
Who was Maria Theresa's husband?
Late Reign and Death. In 1765 Maria Theresa’s husband, Francis Stephen, died. Upon his death, Maria Theresa appointed her eldest son, Joseph II, as emperor and co-regent. The two frequently clashed in their beliefs.
What did Maria Theresa and Haugwitz do to the Habsburg Empire?
The increased revenue and cost savings of Maria Theresa and Haugwitz’s domestic reforms further served to strengthen the Habsburg Empire’s army. Although it was peacetime, Maria Theresa saw the need to prepare for an impending second war with Fredrick II, as he sought to defend Prussia against Austria’s newly formed alliance with its former enemy, France.
What did Maria Theresa do to Haugwitz?
Maria Theresa also allowed Haugwitz to do away with yearly resource negotiations with the empire’s estates in favor of meeting to negotiate only once a decade. Over the course of that decade, the estates would pay the central government yearly taxes. Additionally, Maria Theresa reorganized several government functions, combining them in a centralized General Directory.
How old was Maria Theresa when she became empress?
It was time for Maria Theresa, then 23 years old, to succeed to the Habsburg throne. Subjects of her crown lands — the Austrian duchies and Netherlands, and Bohemia and Hungary — were quick to accept Maria Theresa as their empress.
How many children did Maria Theresa have?
Over the course of her marriage, Maria Theresa would give birth to a sizable brood. Her 16 children consisted of 5 sons and 11 daughters, including the future queen of France, Marie Antoinette.
Why did Charles VI issue the Pragmatic Sanction?
In 1713 he issued the Pragmatic Sanction to ensure his eldest daughter’s right to take over the throne when he died, provided he never had a son. In 1720 Charles worked tirelessly to earn support for the sanction from his crown lands and several of the great European powers. Over time, they begrudgingly agreed to honor the sanction.
What did Maria Theresa do during the war?
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 .
Who was Maria Theresa?
more... Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina ( German: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only female to hold the position. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, ...
How did Maria Theresa reform Austria?
Maria Theresa was as conservative in matters of state as in those of religion, but she implemented significant reforms to strengthen Austria's military and bureaucratic efficiency. She employed Friedrich Wilhelm von Haugwitz, who modernised the empire by creating a standing army of 108,000 men, paid for with 14 million gulden extracted from crown lands. The central government was responsible for funding the army, although Haugwitz instituted taxation of the nobility, who had never before had to pay taxes. Moreover, after Haugwitz was appointed the head of the new central administrative agency, dubbed the Directory, ( Directorium in publicis et cameralibus) in 1749, he initiated a radical centralization of state institutions down to the level of the District Office ( Kreisamt ). Thanks to this effort, by 1760 there was a class of government officials numbering around 10,000. However, Lombardy, the Austrian Netherlands and Hungary were almost completely untouched by this reform. In the case of Hungary, Maria Theresa was particularly mindful of her promise that she would respect the privileges in the kingdom, including the immunity of nobles from taxation.
How long did Maria Theresa reign?
By marriage, she was Duchess of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany and Holy Roman Empress . Maria Theresa started her 40-year reign when her father, Emperor Charles VI, died in October 1740. Charles VI paved the way for her accession with the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 and spent his entire reign securing it.
What war did Frederick of Prussia start?
Frederick of Prussia's invasion of Saxony in August 1756 began a Third Silesian War and sparked the wider Seven Years' War. Maria Theresa and Kaunitz wished to exit the war with possession of Silesia. Before the war started, Kaunitz had been sent as an ambassador to Versailles from 1750–1753 to win over the French.
Why did Maria Theresa need troops from Hungary?
Therefore, she needed troops from Hungary in order to support the war effort.
What did Louis XV promise to Austria?
On 1 May 1757, the Second Treaty of Versailles was signed, whereby Louis XV promised to provide Austria with 130,000 men in addition to 12 million gulden yearly. They would also continue the war in Continental Europe until Prussia could be compelled to abandon Silesia and Glatz. In return, Austria would cede several towns in the Austrian Netherlands to the son-in-law of Louis XV, Philip of Parma, who in turn would grant his Italian duchies to Maria Theresa.
Why was Maria Theresa so reforming?
Her reforming zeal was intended to bring about the greatest possible benefit for the state and the dynasty.
What happened to the Jews during Maria Theresa's rule?
Under Maria Theresa’s rule Protestants continued to be persecuted, and an inglorious climax was reached when the Jews were expelled from Prague in 1744. The largest Jewish community at that time in the Monarchy was dissolved and 20,000 individuals had to leave the city within a short space of time.
What was the significance of the Constitutio Criminalis Theresiana?
What was important was the creation of a unified legal framework rather than the modernization of legal practice as such; torture continued to be a legal means of finding the truth, despite vehement criticism from representatives of the Enlightenment. It was not until 1776 with Joseph II ’s support that torture was finally abolished.
What was the dark side of Maria Theresa?
However, the sovereign, whose name is associated with the Austrian Age of Reform, was a reformer against her will . Maria Theresa took a thoroughly pragmatic approach to the reforms.
Who was the heiress in The War of Austrian Succession?
Maria Theresa – the heiress. The War of Austrian Succession. Maria Theresa and her reforms. The dark side of Maria Theresa. Maria Theresa: Europe’s mother-in-law. Maria Theresa as wife and mother. Maria Theresa’ s children. Maria Theresa in the eyes of her contemporaries. Maria Theresa ’s final years: widowhood and death.
Was Maria Theresa a Catholic?
Another area in which Maria Theresa’s pre-modern cast of mind manifested itself was in her religious understanding: she remained a pre-Enlightenment Catholic throughout her life. This resulted in continued intolerance towards non-Catholics. Under Maria Theresa’s rule Protestants continued to be persecuted, and an inglorious climax was reached when the Jews were expelled from Prague in 1744. The largest Jewish community at that time in the Monarchy was dissolved and 20,000 individuals had to leave the city within a short space of time.
Overview
Reforms
Maria Theresa was as conservative in matters of state as in those of religion, but she implemented significant reforms to strengthen Austria's military and bureaucratic efficiency. She employed Friedrich Wilhelm von Haugwitz, who modernised the empire by creating a standing army of 108,000 men, paid for with 14 million florins extracted from crown lands. The central government wa…
Birth and early life
The second and eldest surviving child of Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI and Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Archduchess Maria Theresa was born on 13 May 1717 in Vienna, a year after the death of her elder brother, Archduke Leopold Johann, and was baptised on that same evening. The dowager empresses, her aunt Wilhelmine Amalia of Brunswick-Lüneburg and grandmother Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg, were her godmothers. Most descriptions of her b…
Marriage
The question of Maria Theresa's marriage was raised early in her childhood. Leopold Clement of Lorraine was first considered to be the appropriate suitor, and he was supposed to visit Vienna and meet the Archduchess in 1723. These plans were forestalled by his death from smallpox that year.
Leopold Clement's younger brother, Francis Stephen, was invited to Vienna. Even though Francis …
Ascension
Charles VI died on 20 October 1740, probably of mushroom poisoning. He had ignored the advice of Prince Eugene of Savoy who had urged him to concentrate on filling the treasury and equipping the army rather than on acquiring signatures of fellow monarchs. The Emperor, who spent his entire reign securing the Pragmatic Sanction, left Austria in an impoverished state, bankrupted by the recent Turkish war and the War of the Polish Succession; the treasury contained only 100,000
War of the Austrian Succession
Immediately after her accession, a number of European sovereigns who had recognised Maria Theresa as heir broke their promises. Queen Elisabeth of Spain and Elector Charles Albert of Bavaria, married to Maria Theresa's deprived cousin Maria Amalia and supported by Empress Wilhelmine Amalia, coveted portions of her inheritance. Maria Theresa did secure recognition from King Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia, who had not accepted the Pragmatic Sanction durin…
Seven Years' War
Frederick of Prussia's invasion of Saxony in August 1756 began a Third Silesian War and sparked the wider Seven Years' War. Maria Theresa and Kaunitz wished to exit the war with possession of Silesia. Before the war started, Kaunitz had been sent as an ambassador to Versailles from 1750–1753 to win over the French. Meanwhile, the British rebuffed requests from Maria Theresa to aid her in reclaiming Silesia, and Frederick II himself managed to secure the Treaty of Westmi…
Family life
Over the course of twenty years, Maria Theresa gave birth to sixteen children, thirteen of whom survived infancy. The first child, Maria Elisabeth (1737–1740), was born a little less than a year after the wedding. The child's sex caused great disappointment and so would the births of Maria Anna, the eldest surviving child, and Maria Carolina (1740–1741). While fighting to preserve her inheritance, Maria Theresa gave birth to a son, Joseph, named after Saint Joseph, to whom she h…