Maria Theresa

The biography traces the life of an 18th-century Habsburg sovereign from childhood preparation under the Pragmatic Sanction through a reign dominated by the War of the Austrian Succession, the loss of Silesia, and the Seven Years' War. It interweaves accounts of military campaigns, diplomatic maneuvering, and internal reforms that modernized administration and strengthened laws, while portraying the ruler's personal character, family responsibilities, and public devotion. Organized into chapters covering youth, campaigns, plots and counterplots, major battles, the long struggle’s end, and final years, the work closes with an appendix and selected illustrations.