Maria Theresa and the Habsburg Reform Era
Maria Theresa, born in Vienna on May 13, 1717, inherited the Habsburg lands in 1740 and ruled for four decades as Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary, and Queen of Bohemia. As the sole female ruler of the Habsburg realm, she successfully defended her sovereignty during the War of the Austrian Succession and Seven Years' War. She enacted comprehensive reforms across administration, finance, education, and the military, transforming the state into a centralized modern empire while raising sixteen children, including future emperors and Queen Marie Antoinette.
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