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Article: Maria Theresa (Holy Roman Empire) (Maria Theresa; 1717–1780; Ruled 1740–1780)
- Article from:
- Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World
- Author:
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MARIA THERESA (HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE) (Maria Theresa; 1717
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1780; ruled 1740
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1780)
MARIA THERESA (HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE)
(Maria Theresa; 1717
–
1780; ruled 1740
–
1780), empress of Austria. Many historians regard the eighteenth century as a time when monarchical government represented the most progressive force in economics, politics, and society. Maria Theresa was one of the greatest of these eighteenth-century monarchs, but no one would have anticipated her success when she came to the throne. The Habsburg Monarchy was not a single entity, but a conglomeration of provinces stretching from Belgium in the west to Transylvania in the east and Silesia
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now in Poland
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