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Maria Theresa: life of the week

Maria Theresa: life of the week

Pieter Judson charts the remarkable life of the Habsburg ruler Maria Theresa, who transformed Austria into a formidable power in the 18th century

Spencer Mizen

Published: May 21, 2024 at 7:11 AM

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Maria Theresa defied expectations of what a female ruler could achieve in the 18th century. When she ascended the throne of the Habsburg empire in 1740, there were riots on the streets of Vienna, and Europe's major powers prepared to pounce. Yet, as Pieter Judson tells Spencer Mizen, over the next four decades Maria Theresa introduced wide-ranging social reforms, and turned Austria into a military force to be reckoned with.

Authors

Spencer MizenSenior production editor

Spencer is senior production editor of HistoryExtra magazine