Portrait of Maria Theresa
Life Stories for Young People
MARIA THERESA
Translated from the German of
W. D. Von Horn
BY
GEORGE P. UPTON
Translator of “Memories,” author of “Upton Handbooks on Music,” editor “Autobiography of Theodore Thomas,” etc., etc.
WITH FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS
CHICAGO
A. C. McCLURG & CO.
1905
Copyright
A. C. McClurg & Co.
1905
Published September 16, 1905
THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.
Translator’s Preface
Among the famous queens of the world—CatharineII of Russia, Elizabeth, AnneBoleyn, and Victoria of England, MaryQueen of Scots, Isabella of Spain, Louiseof Prussia, Marie Antoinette, Marie and Catharinedi Medici of France, and others, Maria Theresa ofAustria holds a conspicuous place. In statesmanshipand patriotism she ranks with Elizabeth andCatharine. As Catharine greatly improved theadministration of her Empire, introduced new lawsand extended its frontiers, and as Elizabeth’s reignwas characterized by great commercial enterprises andextraordinary intellectual activity, so the reign ofMaria Theresa, though she was engaged for years intwo great wars,—that of the War of the AustrianSuccession and the Seven Years’ War with Frederickfor the recovery of Silesia, which he had taken fromher,—proved to be of the highest benefit to Austriain the strengthening of law and the introduction ofneeded reforms and wise measures for the welfare ofthe Empire.
For years she was engaged in war for thepreservation of Silesia with the most potent sovereignin Europe—Frederick the Great. Doubtless hehad some antique claim upon Silesia, but when MariaTheresa succeeded to the throne under the terms ofthe Pragmatic Sanction, all the European powers,Prussia among them, whose rights might be affected,renounced their claims. She relied upon their goodfaith, but on the slightest of pretexts Frederick brokeit and determined to rob her of Silesia, even at thecost of plunging all Europe into a long and devastatingwar. He set aside a new treaty to enforce anold claim. He plainly condemned himself by hisown words in his Memoirs: “Ambition, interest,the desire of making people talk about me carriedthe day and I decided for war.” When peace wasfinally made, Maria Theresa retained her old inheritance,though she lost Silesia; but Frederick wasmore than willing to make peace, for all Germanyhad been a terrible sufferer by the war and Prussiawas in dire straits.
The story of the life of thegreat queen is briefly told in these pages. It is thestory of the life of a proud, ambitious queen; a wise,judicious ruler, who had the best interests of hersubjects at heart, and for whom they were alwaysready to die; a woman of spotless personal characterand true to all her domest