Maria Theresa and the War of Austrian Succession

In Episode 4 of The History of Austria, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable story of Maria Theresa, the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions, who ascended to the throne in 1740 amid a cascade of crises. With the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 guaranteeing her inheritance, she faced immediate opposition from Frederick the Great of Prussia, who invaded Silesia and sparked the War of the Austrian Succession. Lucas details Maria Theresa's early life, her unexpected pregnancy, and her dramatic appeal to the Hungarian Diet at Pressburg, where she won their support by holding her infant son. The episode covers key battles like Mollwitz and Chotusitz, the diplomatic realignments of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, and how Maria Theresa's reforms—including the Theresian Military Academy, the reorganization of the bureaucracy, and the introduction of the land tax—modernized Austria. It also touches on the personal toll: her complicated marriage to Francis Stephen of Lorraine, her sixteen children, and her determination to reclaim Silesia, which would lead to the Seven Years' War. Lucas and Luna discuss the contrast between her pragmatic reforms and Frederick's enlightenment absolutism, ending with her legacy as the 'mother of her people.' #MariaTheresa #WarOfAustrianSuccession #FrederickTheGreat #PragmaticSanction #Habsburgs #Silesia #18thCentury #Enlightenment #AustrianHistory #CentralEurope #WomenInHistory #Monarchy #MilitaryHistory #Diplomacy #Reforms #Vienna #Pressburg #History #HabsburgDynasty #HolyRomanEmpire Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo