In 1740 Karl VI died, leaving behind a daughter he had never really prepared for the role of Empress, and a state that was almost bankrupt. Given the character of the new wave of liberal "enlightened" despots, it is perhaps not surprising that the Emperor was hardly cold in the ground before King Friedrich the Great of Prussia broke his word and marched 30,000 men into Silesien. To oppose him was the 23-year-old Empress Maria Theresa, who could have hardly seemed like a very imposing figure to the famous old general. Furthermore, the British were pushing the new Kaiserin to give in to Prussia's demands for territory and the French were backing Karl Albrecht, Graf von Bayern as a claimant to the Austrian throne.
Against all of these enemies, and with her own court lacking in faith in the young woman and urging her to submitt to Friedrich, Maria Theresa held her ground and turned for support to the Hungarians, who stood at her side with enthusiastic loyalty. The Empress wrote to the ambassador from Great Britain, "Not only for political reasons, but from conscience and honor, I will not consent to part with much in Silesia. No sooner is one enemy satisfied than another starts up; another, and then another must be appeased, and all at my expense." If the nations of Europe were determined to take advantage of Maria Theresa, they would certainly have a fight on their hands. During the War of Austrian Succession the Empress gained the grudging respect and recognition of the rest of Europe. Austria became a great power and Maria Theresa's husband, Franz Stefan von Lothringen, was elected Holy Roman Emperor, though Maria Theresa continued to rule as she was simply far more suited to the task than her husband.
As Empress, Maria Theresa certainly succeeded in securing the succession of the Hapsburg throne, having 16 children, 9 of whom lived to adulthood. She also set an example of moral and devout Catholic leadership when most of the rest of Europe had fallen prey to ideas of nationalistic tyranny. Maria Theresa also cared deeply for her people and would visit them in disguise. She greatly improved the lives of her people and the economy of Austria by cutting taxes for the poor and, for the first time in Austrian history, taxing the nobility. She built up a strong and efficient military so that Austria would not be caught at a disadvantage again, she improved the justice system, gave the poor the opportunity of an education and allowed peasants to own their own land
Aside from going along with Prussia and Russia in the partition of Poland, which she did against her better judgment, Empress Maria Theresa stands in sharp contrast to the other rulers of her time for her courage, piety and true concern for the welfare of her people. While the "enlightened" Friedrich the Great ruled with an iron fist, Maria Theresa earned the loyalty of her people through her benevolent policies and by improving their lives. And, while the "enlightened" Catherine the Great of Russia lived a lifestyle of scandal, marked by murder and debauchery, Maria Theresa set an example of Christian virtue and as a loyal daughter of the Church. All of these rulers had their own personal talents which cannot be ignored, but it was only Maria Theresa who was able to rule with wisdom and compassion, being both a clever monarch and an example of morality for her people, which is the true mark of a great leader.
