Empress Maria Theresa

Hello! My name is Maria Theresa, and I want to tell you my story. I was born in the beautiful city of Vienna on May 13th, 1717. My father was Emperor Charles VI, a very important ruler. He had hoped for a son to take his place, but he had me instead! In those days, it was very unusual for a woman to rule a great empire. Because of this, my father created a special law just for me called the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713. This law meant that one day, all the vast Habsburg lands would be mine to lead. Growing up, I wasn't trained like a future ruler. I learned music, dancing, and art, which I loved, but I didn't learn much about politics or how to run an army. Still, I knew a great responsibility was waiting for me.

When I was 23 years old, in 1740, my dear father passed away, and I became the ruler. It was a scary and difficult time. Many leaders from other countries broke their promises to my father. They saw a young woman on the throne and thought it would be easy to take my lands away. They started a war called the War of the Austrian Succession. But I was determined not to let them win. I traveled to Hungary and gave a powerful speech to the nobles, holding my baby son, Joseph, in my arms. They were so moved that they promised to help me with their soldiers. The war lasted for eight long years, but I never gave up. During this time, I had my wonderful husband, Francis Stephen, by my side. We had married in 1736, and he was my greatest love and supporter.

Francis and I had a very big and busy family—sixteen children in all! Being a mother to so many taught me how to care for a whole country. I thought of all the people in my empire as my children, and I wanted to make their lives better. I started making many changes, which we call reforms. I made the army stronger to protect our lands and changed the laws to be fairer to everyone, even the poorest farmers. But the reform I am most proud of is about schools. In 1774, I announced the General School Regulation, which said that all children, boys and girls, had to go to school. I believed that if children learned to read and write, they could build a brighter future for themselves and for our empire. I also loved making Vienna a center for music and art, and I even invited a young boy named Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to perform at my palace.

I ruled for forty years. After my beloved husband Francis died in 1765, I was heartbroken, but I continued my duties and shared my power with my oldest son, Joseph. My life was full of challenges, but also great joy. I lived to be 63 years old. Today, people remember me as a powerful empress who defended her right to rule and cared deeply for her people. I am remembered as a great reformer, a loving mother, and the only woman to ever rule the great Habsburg lands in her own right.