Marryonn Teheresiann

• Maria Theresa (1717, Vienna-- 1780, Vienna), archduchess of Austria and queen of Hungary and Bohemia (1740-80), wife and empress of the Holy Roman emperor Francis I (reigned 1745-65), and mother of the Holy Roman emperor Joseph II (reigned 1765-90).

Upon her accession, 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. Maria Theresa was a key figure in the power politics of 18th-century Europe.

To the Habsburg monarchy, a dynastic agglomeration of disparate lands, she gave a measure of unity. A princess of engaging naturalness, she was one of the most capable rulers of her house and, according to one historian, "the most human of the Habsburgs."

There is more about the Habsburgs in the next chapter, eg [1]