Maria Theresa Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May β 29 November was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from until her death in , and the only woman to hold the position suo jure in her own right. Charles VI paved the way for her accession with the Pragmatic Sanction of 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.
Moreover, upon his death, Saxony , Prussia , Bavaria , and France all repudiated the sanction they had recognised during his lifetime. Frederick II of Prussia who became Maria Theresa's greatest rival for most of her reign 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. 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 Jews and Protestants , and on certain occasions she ordered their expulsion to remote parts of the realm.
She also advocated for the state church. Thus, the birth of Maria Theresa was a great disappointment to him and the people of Vienna; Charles never managed to overcome this feeling. Maria Theresa replaced Maria Josepha as heir presumptive to the Habsburg realms the moment she was born; Charles VI had issued the Pragmatic Sanction of which had placed his nieces behind his own daughters in the line of succession.
