Lexi Webster
Several women have been associated with the Austrian Empire, including Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi, who was married to Franz Joseph. However, the woman who ruled the Austrian Empire was Maria Theresa, who was the only female ruler of the Habsburg monarchy, reigning from 1740 until her death in 1780. She was also the sovereign of Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Transylvania, and many other territories.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Maria Theresa |
| Full Name | Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina |
| Date of Birth | 13 May 1717 |
| Date of Death | 29 November 1780 |
| Title | Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, Duchess of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany |
| Reign | 1740-1780 |
| Notable Reforms | Strengthened Austria's military and bureaucratic efficiency, taxation of the nobility |
| Notable Treaties | First Treaty of Versailles (1756), Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca (1774) |
| Family | Husband: Francis Stephen, Son: Joseph II |
| Other | The only woman to rule the Habsburg monarchy, Maria Theresa was an absolute monarch and conservative in matters of state and religion |
Other Women Rulers of Austria
- Empress Elisabeth of Austria: Portrayed in various films and TV series as an unhappy wife and the cousin of Ludwig II of Bavaria.
- Maria of Austria: Also known as Isabel or Maria of Spain, she was the Holy Roman Empress and Queen Consort of Bohemia and Hungary.
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What You'll Learn
Maria Theresa, the ruler of the Austrian Empire
Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780. She was the only woman to hold the position in her own right and was sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Transylvania, Slavonia, Mantua, Milan, Moravia, Galicia and Lodomeria, Dalmatia, the Austrian Netherlands, Carinthia, Carniola, Gorizia and Gradisca, Lusatia, Styria and Parma, among others.
Maria Theresa was born in Vienna on 13 May 1717 and died there on 29 November 1780. She was the eldest daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI and Elizabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. From the day she was born, she was one of the most important people in 18th-century Europe. She was groomed from an early age to preserve Habsburg territory and influence. When she was 18, she married Francis Stephen of Lorraine, and they had 16 children, 10 of whom survived to adulthood.
Upon the death of her father, Charles VI, Maria Theresa assumed the reins of government, and the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–48) erupted, challenging her inheritance of the Habsburg lands. This contest with Prussia was followed by two more: the Seven Years' War (1756–63) and the War of the Bavarian Succession (1778–79), which further checked Austrian power. During the War of the Austrian Succession, Frederick II of Prussia, who became Maria Theresa's greatest rival, invaded and took the affluent Habsburg province of Silesia. In defiance of the grave situation, she 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 was a conservative in matters of state and 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. She also oversaw social, administrative, fiscal, and religious reforms. One of her most long-lasting successes was the reform of primary schools, which was driven by Enlightenment ideas.
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Maria Theresa's husband, Francis Stephen, was made co-ruler
Maria Theresa, the only woman to rule the Habsburg monarchy, was born on May 13, 1717, and died on November 29, 1780. She was the sovereign ruler of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Transylvania, and many other territories. Maria Theresa was the eldest daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI.
An old European law, the Salic Law, prohibited a woman from inheriting her father's kingdom. However, concerned that he might not father a son, Charles VI issued a decree in 1713, known as the Pragmatic Sanction, guaranteeing the right of succession to his daughter. When Charles VI died in 1740, Maria Theresa became the ruler, and her husband, Francis Stephen, was made co-ruler of the Austrian and Bohemian lands on November 21, 1740.
Francis Stephen did not possess enough land or rank within the Holy Roman Empire to become the Holy Roman Emperor. To make him eligible for the imperial throne and enable him to vote in the imperial elections as King of Bohemia, Maria Theresa made him co-ruler. It took more than a year for the Diet of Hungary to accept Francis Stephen as co-ruler, as they asserted that the sovereignty of Hungary could not be shared. Despite her love for him and his position as co-ruler, Maria Theresa never allowed her husband to decide matters of state and often dismissed him from council meetings when they disagreed.
Maria Theresa was a conservative in matters of state and 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, funded by extracting 14 million florins from crown lands. Maria Theresa also instituted taxation of the nobility, who had never been taxed before.
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Empress Elisabeth of Austria
Elisabeth's life as Empress was not without its challenges. She often clashed with her mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophia, and struggled with the rigid etiquette of the Viennese court. She was, however, generally popular with her subjects, especially the Hungarians, who admired her endeavours in bringing about the Compromise of 1867. She also travelled extensively, often to escape the constraints of court life, and was known for her visits to countries not usually visited by European royals at the time, such as Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt.
Elisabeth's life was marked by tragedy, particularly the suicide of her only son, Crown Prince Rudolf, in 1889, from which she never fully recovered. Her own life ended in tragedy as well. On September 10, 1898, while travelling in Geneva, Switzerland, she was fatally stabbed in the heart by an Italian anarchist named Luigi Lucheni. Her tenure of 44 years was the longest of any Austrian empress.
Elisabeth's life and reign have been portrayed and referenced in numerous films and television series, including the 1997 animated series "Princess Sissi", the 2004 French television film "Sissi, l'impératrice rebelle", and the 2009 German miniseries "Sisi".
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Maria Theresa's reforms and their impact
Maria Theresa (1717 – 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy and the only woman to hold this position in her own right. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Transylvania, and many other territories.
Maria Theresa implemented significant social, administrative, fiscal, and religious reforms. One of her most important aims was to increase the population, as it was believed that a larger population would lead to economic growth and provide more soldiers for the army. She systematically settled sparsely populated areas with colonists from overpopulated regions, and while some individuals moved voluntarily, others were forcibly relocated.
Maria Theresa also introduced compulsory schooling for children aged six to twelve, regardless of their sex. The curriculum focused on social responsibility, discipline, work ethic, and the use of reason, with instruction in both the child's mother tongue and German. Teacher training colleges were established to train educators in the latest techniques, and teachers' pay and status were improved. This reform faced opposition, particularly from peasants who wanted their children to work in the fields and aristocrats who saw their power threatened. However, it successfully raised literacy standards, with school attendance in the Archdiocese of Vienna increasing from 40% in 1780 to 94% by 1807.
In the sphere of military administration, Maria Theresa reorganised Austria's military, strengthening the country's international standing. She established a standing army of 108,000 men, funded by 14 million florins extracted from crown lands and taxation of the nobility. She also founded the Theresian Military Academy to train a new generation of officers, and the Order of Maria Theresa to commemorate the Austrian army's victory at Kolín in 1757.
Maria Theresa's other reforms included the abolition of internal tariffs to create a large-scale economic area, the introduction of statistics, censuses, and tax cadastres to gain insight into the land, and the professionalisation of the civil service by increasing the intake of middle-class professionals. She also confirmed and upheld old privileges granted to Eastern Orthodox subjects by previous Habsburg monarchs, while enforcing firmer state control over the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Karlovci.
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Maria Theresa's legacy in women's history
Maria Theresa (1717–1780) was the only woman to rule the Habsburg monarchy in her own right, and she did so for forty years, from 1740 until her death in 1780. She was also the Archduchess of Austria, Holy Roman Empress, and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. Maria Theresa was the eldest daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, who, in an effort to preserve the Habsburg dominions, issued the Pragmatic Sanction to allow Maria Theresa to succeed him. An old European law, the Salic Law, prohibited a woman from inheriting her father's kingdom.
Maria Theresa's sense of justice is also notable. For example, she rejected the idea of the First Partition of Poland, arguing, ""What right have we to rob an innocent nation that it has hitherto been our boast to protect and support?". However, she later agreed to the partition when she realised that Frederick II of Prussia and Catherine II of Russia would go through with it with or without Austrian participation.
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Frequently asked questions
Maria Theresa was the only woman to rule the Austrian Empire.
Maria Theresa ruled the Austrian Empire from 1740 until her death in 1780.
Maria Theresa was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy and the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Transylvania, and many other territories. She was also Duchess of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, and Holy Roman Empress by marriage.
Maria Theresa implemented reforms to strengthen Austria's military and bureaucratic efficiency, including the creation of a standing army. She also negotiated agreements with other powers, such as the First Treaty of Versailles with France, which led to a diplomatic revolution.
Yes, Empress Elisabeth of Austria, often referred to as "Sisi" or "Sissi," was a well-known figure. She was married to Franz Joseph, and her life and influence have been portrayed in various films and television series.
