Maria Theresa was the archduchess of Austria and queen of Hungary and Bohemia (only empress/wife of Francis 1 of HRE (1745-1765)) (jan 1, 1740 – jan 1, 1780)

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Another female monarch, Maria Theresa (r. 1740-1780) of Austria, set out to reform her nation, primarily through traditional power politics.After losing Silesia in the long War of the Austrian Succession in 1748, Maria Theresa was determined to make the Austrian state stronger and more efficient.Administrative reforms that strengthened the central bureaucracy, smoothed out provincial differences, and revamped the tax system were some of Maria Theresa's measures, along with improving the lot of the agricultural population.A strong supporter of change, Maria Theresa's son Joseph II moved forward rapidly when he came to the throne in 1780 and abolished serfdom in 1781.

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