Maria Theresa Walburga (1717 – 1780) was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last ruler of the House of Habsburg between 1740 - 1780. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma. After her marriage, she was Duchess of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany and Holy Roman Empress.
Though she was expected to cede power to Francis and Joseph, both of whom were officially her co-rulers in Austria and Bohemia, Maria Theresa was the absolute sovereign, ruling by the counsel of her advisers. She criticised and disapproved of many of Joseph's actions, even if she is considered to have been intellectually inferior to Joseph and Leopold, Maria Theresa understood the importance of her public persona and was able to simultaneously evoke both esteem and affection from her subjects.
Maria Theresa promulgated financial and educational reforms, promoting commerce and the development of agriculture, and she reorganised Austria's ramshackle military, all of which strengthened Austria's international standing. However, she refused to allow religious toleration and some of her contemporary thought her regime was bigoted or superstitious.
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