When Maria Theresa of Austria followed her father as the ruler of Austria & Hungary, Frederick II of Prussia immediately declared war, even though he had previously signed a treaty that he would accept a female Emperor.
Austria was attacked on all sides and suffered heavy losses, but Maria Theresa managed to hold on to a large chunk of her inherited empire. The War of the Austrian Succession lasted from 1740 to 1748 and after that, she tried to recover some of her lost lands during the Seven Years war. During all of this, Maria Theresa gave birth to 16 children between 1737 and 1756, 13 of which survived infancy and 10 of which survived into adulthood.
She is quoted as saying “Had I not been almost always pregnant, I would have gone into battle myself.”
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When Maria Theresa of Austria followed her father as the ruler of Austria & Hungary, Frederick II of Prussia immediately declared war, even though he had previously signed a treaty that he would accept a female Emperor.
Austria was attacked on all sides and suffered heavy losses, but Maria Theresa managed to hold on to a large chunk of her inherited empire. The War of the Austrian Succession lasted from 1740 to 1748 and after that, she tried to recover some of her lost lands during the Seven Years war. During all of this, Maria Theresa gave birth to 16 children between 1737 and 1756, 13 of which survived infancy and 10 of which survived into adulthood.
She is quoted as saying “Had I not been almost always pregnant, I would have gone into battle myself.”