Marie Therese Geoffrin The hostess of the famous literary salon Date of Birth: 02.06.1699 Country: France

1. Maria Theresa: Patron of Enlightenment and Reformer
2. Legacy and Descendants
3. Education and Early Life
4. Accession to the Throne and the War of Austrian Succession
5. Conjoined Twins: Maria and Theresa
6. Seven Years' War and Joseph II's Co-Regency
7. Foreign Policy: Partitions and Territorial Gains
8. Domestic Reforms
9. Key Advisers and Impact on Austria

Maria Theresa: Patron of Enlightenment and Reformer

Maria Theresa was the renowned hostess of a literary salon where the brightest minds of 18th-century Paris gathered. As the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty, her reign coincided with the Enlightenment and a period of active reforms. Her prominence among the dynasty's members made her one of its most popular figures.

Legacy and Descendants

Among Maria Theresa's many children were two emperors, Joseph II and Leopold II, as well as the French queen Marie Antoinette and the Queen of Sicily, Maria Carolina. She was the eldest daughter of Emperor Charles VI and his wife Elizabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, becoming his heiress under the Pragmatic Sanction.

Education and Early Life

Maria Theresa received a rigorous education designed to prepare her for ruling the vast Habsburg Empire. At the age of 14, she attended meetings of the state council. In 1736, she wed Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine.

Accession to the Throne and the War of Austrian Succession

Upon her father's death in 1740, Maria Theresa ascended to the throne and confronted multiple claimants to the "Austrian inheritance." The War of Austrian Succession ensued, with Maria Theresa emerging victorious in 1748 by the Treaty of Aachen, though she surrendered Silesia.

Conjoined Twins: Maria and Theresa

Maria Theresa was crowned King of Hungary on June 25, 1741, in St. Martin's Cathedral in Pressburg (present-day Bratislava). In 1745, her husband was crowned Emperor Francis I.

Seven Years' War and Joseph II's Co-Regency

In the Seven Years' War (1756-63), Maria Theresa attempted to reclaim Silesia but failed, with the region remaining under the control of Frederick II of Prussia. After Francis I's death in 1765, Maria Theresa appointed her son, Joseph II, as her co-ruler, though she restricted his authority to courtly, financial, and military affairs.

Foreign Policy: Partitions and Territorial Gains

In 1772, Maria Theresa participated in the first partition of Poland, acquiring Galicia. She forced the Ottoman Empire to cede Bukovina in 1775. In 1778, she asserted claims to the "Bavarian inheritance," leading to the Treaty of Teschen, which granted Austria the Innviertel region.

Domestic Reforms

Maria Theresa's reign was marked by significant internal reforms. She dedicated herself to combating corruption, reforming finances, modernizing the legal system, and reorganizing military forces. As a devout Catholic, she initially opposed the Enlightenment's reformist ideals, but external pressures forced her to implement necessary changes, particularly in her Czech and German hereditary lands. Her reforms did not extend to Hungary, which retained its traditional practices.

Key Advisers and Impact on Austria

Maria Theresa's chief advisors in her reform efforts were Count Haugwitz (later Prince Kaunitz) and Count Chotek. Haugwitz, as Minister of the Interior, established order, limiting the feudal power of nobles and introducing government oversight. Maria Theresa also focused on agricultural improvements, fostering crafts and industries, promoting factory production, and expanding trade. Her reforms transformed Austria from a backward nation to a more prosperous and modern state.