Empress Maria-Theresa

Maria Theresa (1717–1780) was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg, reigning over Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, and other regions. She came to power after the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, which allowed a daughter to inherit the Habsburg lands, though this led to the War of Austrian Succession when her rule was contested by Prussia and Bavaria.

Key Reforms and Policies:

1. Religious Policies: Maria Theresa was a devout Catholic who believed religious unity was essential for peace. She rejected religious tolerance, seeking to convert non-Catholics but still supported Jewish and Protestant commercial activity. She expelled the Jesuits due to fears they threatened her authority.
2. Administrative and Military Reforms: She modernized the military by creating a standing army and centralized the bureaucracy, increasing state revenue. However, she did not abolish the feudal system, allowing nobles to retain their privileges.
3. Public Health: Maria Theresa focused on public health by introducing reforms such as mandatory autopsies to reduce infant mortality, banning unhygienic burial practices, and promoting inoculation, particularly after a smallpox outbreak.
4. Educational Reforms: In 1775, she reformed the education system, requiring schooling for all children aged 6 to 12, although the implementation was inconsistent. She also introduced secular subjects in universities, shifting focus away from theology.

Maria Theresa’s reign left a revitalized empire, though she did not alter the social hierarchy dominated by the nobility. Her contributions to public health and education had lasting impacts on the empire’s development.