What are some accomplishments of Maria Theresa of Austria?
Maria Theresia is considered an enlightened monarch, and she was one of the longest running ruler in our country history. However, we call her reign an enlightened absolutism. Her first half of the reign was preoccupied with the wars for a succession and keeping her on the throne, from which she lost the wealthiest land of the monarchy, Silesia. These wars were waged against Prussia and France who occupied most of the country. In second war, lasting for Seven Years (1756-1763), she definitely accepted the defeat, but was able to maintain the throne for much smaller country. The wars revealed how poor and backward was Hapsburg monarchy, which probably was after Russia as the most impoverished state on the Continent. This forced her to reform to the state. The list of the reforms are numerous: -Mandatory education for children -Cadastral maps of entire country to determine the amount of taxed to be yield from land -Unification of the currency, measures, weights, customs, taxes -Unificati
