Gruß

Hello, all. It is I, Maria Theresa, Empress of the Hapsburg Dynasty. I was born on the the 13th of May, in the year 1717. In October of 1740, at the age of 24, my late father, the  Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, passed from this earth, and I was inherited the the throne as Empress of all Hapsburg territories throughout Central Europe. Almost immediately upon my coronation, many voices in Europe spoke out against a female being deemed the rightful heir. Frederick II, the King of Prussia formed a coalition against my rule, which eventually lead to the eight-year ordeal now known as the War of the Austrian Succession. King Frederick II found allies in France, Spain, Saxony, and several other European countries, and I formed an alliance with Hungary. With their endlessly appreciated assistance , the war was declared over in 1748 with the formation of the Treaty of Aix-La-Chapelle.
Over the course of my forty-year reign,  I ensured the centralization of Hapsburg power through combining the administrative offices of Austria and the Bohemian chancelleries , which had previously worked separately. In 1756, the Diplomatic Revolution ensued when Austria allied with its previous enemy: the state of France, against yet another attack from King Frederick II whose country had made ties with Great Britain. Upon the death of my late husband, Francis Stephen, I named my eldest son: Joseph II, as emperor and co-regent. Of my sixteen children, my youngest, Marie Antoinette, is perhaps the most recognizable.  I made education absolutely mandatory amongst all of my subjects. In 1776, I outlawed the act of witch-burnings and any torture endured under such pretenses. My interest in the Age of Enlightenment and liberal politics led to the founding of the Imperial and Royal Academy of Science and Literature in Brussels. In my wish for medical research in Austria to prosper, I ensured that the University of Vienna's medical program was well-funded. Many did not appreciate or understand many of the actions I made as Empress, even including my beloved son and co-regent, but I stand by every action that I made as the Empress of Austria, and the final member of the great Hapsburg Dynasty.