She wasn't born to be the empress, and she certainly wasn't raised for it. But after 40 years of bureaucratic reforms and familial dominance, Maria Theresa and the House of Habsburg left an indelible mark on the political landscape of Europe that's hard to overstate.

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Source/Further reading:

Danubia by Simon Winder: https://www.amazon.com/Danubia-Person...

Biography, overview: https://www.biography.com/activist/ma...

Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/...

Extremely detailed biography from Habsberger.net: https://www.habsburger.net/en/chapter...

Deutsche Well, What made Maria Theresa one of a kind? https://www.dw.com/en/what-made-austr...

Silesian Wars Overview: https://www.britannica.com/event/Sile...

War of the Austrian Succession: https://www.britannica.com/event/War-...

Health reforms: https://english.radio.cz/maria-theres...

Joseph II: https://www.biography.com/political-f...

Seven Years’ War: https://www.habsburger.net/en/chapter...

Czech view: https://english.radio.cz/maria-theres...

Frederick the Great: https://www.spectator.com.au/2015/10/...