Maria Theresa would in fact go on to become the only female ruler of the Hapsburg dominions, coming into power through legal succession. Born in 1717, on May 13th, Maria Theresa was the first child of Charles VI, the Holy Roman Emperor. Charles VI, made sure that she, being the oldest of his daughters, would be able to inherit his throne upon his death, if he was not able to produce a male heir. At the time, Salic Law made it impossible for a woman to inherit the throne, and through a great deal of work, Charles VI was able to change this law. However, many of the powers that originally agreed to allow Maria Theresa to succeed to the throne came to change their mind when Charles VI died, thus sparking the War of Austrian Succession. A war that
Catherine, II, the Great was born in Stettin, a German city on April 21, 1729 to Prince Christian August of Anhalt-Zerost and Princess Johanna Elizabeth of Holstein-Gottorp. Catherine, whose original name was Sophie Friederike-Auguste married in 1762 to the czarevitch Peter of Russia, but soon disposed of him and seized control of the government. Catherine made many great changes during her reign and made many opportunities available to the people living in her country during the time. Although she was a woman in a country in a time when men had control over everything, she rose above, saw what she wanted, and took over what she wanted. She knew what she wanted and she went for it, she was an amazing ruler of her time period.
Elizabeth I was the daughter of King Henry VII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. She ¿˘claimed the throne of England at the of age 25 through the years (1558-1603).Elizabeth I marked one of the highest milestones in english monarch history. She became the first queen in european history to rule a state/country without a male companion. However because this was new idea and it didn't follow the bible directly, it stirred up many controversial opinions amongst the people of England during the 16th-17th century. Near the beginning of her reign a majority of people had the idea that a women should not hold such high power; However as time went on many individuals changed their minds about the idea of a female heir .
Some consider Maria Theresa worthy of the title and even a more effective and powerful ruler than Frederick II because of her achievements in the arts and architecture. Maria Theresa
The War of the Austria Success was a war that was between all the significant colonies in Europe. The battle was based on the Maria Theresa’s unqualified access to the House of Habsburg, her father Charles VI’s throne. This was because back in 500 AD a law was created. This law stated that no women would be able to attend the throne or inherit
Theodora, or Empress Theodora was born on circa 497. She was married to Justinian I who was the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire in 527 AD. She was very smart and intelligent. Theodora was very supportive of Justinian’s choices and ideas. She was also very helpful to Justinian and he accepted her advice. She was very powerful and influenced plenty of people. She is remembered as one of the first rulers to truly understand women's rights.
Empress Theodora and Elizabeth the I Throughout history women have played a significant role. Their role was to only work in the house and clean and take care of their children. Although women haven’t had a lot of power they helped in some ways. The two women who impacted their life was Empress Theodora and Queen Elizabeth
When dealing with the case for Empress Matilda we must also consider what time she was born into. In these early ages society didn’t seem ready yet for a female ruler. Therefore, with no other legitimate heir to the crown, Stephen was in a much better position at the beginning, gaining support far easier than her which brought him the advantage of being crowned so fast in such a crucial moment.
Therefore, because of women's role as child-bearers, women in the Heian times were considered to have quite an important role to play in politics. As Richard Bowring puts it, women were regarded as vital pawns', where their purpose was to deliver a boy to inherit the power and legacy of the family 8. In this sense, the Empress has a large amount of power. However, regardless of a women's position, there is always a male with a higher position her father, the emperor etc. Even so, this is not to say that men are not dependent on women. This inescapable cycle of life and men's dependency on women is what grants women their power within the court.
His wife Henrietta Maria went to France to raise money for a war. Although, parliament did take control of the
Power and ascension to a throne always comes with a price as many have opposing views due to tradition, religion, and values. After Henry VIII’s rule of England came to an end with his death, a struggle of power was imposed, as his three children would later succeed him as rulers to impact England. Primogeniture allowed Edward VI to rule, but after his death, older sister Mary I claimed the throne. Lastly Elizabeth I claimed the throne as the last Tudor monarch and in the long run, bringing success and a golden age of England with her. With Elizabeth’s rise to the throne, ruling from 1558-1603, came strong influences of gender on her reign and affected her responses to them.
In 1660, Louis married Marie-Theresa of Austria, the daughter of the King of Spain, in order to keep peace between France and Spain. Louis’ childhood had come to an end and now it was time to take control. This was something that no one believed Louis XIV was capable of.
Maria Theresa, born in 1717 to Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, had it rough from the beginning (“The Iron Fist: Maria Theresa”). Because her father had high hopes of having a son, he did not properly educate her in the affairs of the state. The Salic Law prohibited women from inheriting their father's kingdoms; during this time period men were seen as superior to women, making it the eldest son’s job to succeed his father. Although the Emperor did not believe that his daughter would have to succeed him, he created the Pragmatic Sanction in case of emergency to protect his empire. The Pragmatic Sanction made it possible for a daughter to inherit the throne in case the predecessor did not have any surviving sons to succeed him (Potter).
She was mother of Francis ll, Charles lX, and Henry lll. Because of Henrys sudden death in 1519 she had to come to the forefront as her eldest son “ Francis was a sick and weakly boy” . Henrys death also plunged Catherine into the political society as mother of three, ready to be kings. When Francis only ruled for 17 months died in 1560, Catherine played a key role in the reign of her second son, Charles IX, who came to the throne at the age of ten. This allowed cathierine to become Queen Regent of France, and she served until his death. She also continued to serve for her third son, Henry III.
The War of Roses was a conflict between two families: the House of York and the House of Lancaster. The war lasted from 1455 to 1485 and started with Richard of York and King Henry VI of Lancaster. Although, King Henry VI was seen as the head of the Lancaster family, it was actually his beautiful and ambitious wife from France, Margaret of Anjou, pulling the strings. Dubbed the ‘She-wolf of France’ by Shakespeare, Margaret rose above the patriarchal society she lived in and came to be seen as a powerful and major player in the war. How did Margaret, a female, gained and exuded power?
On the death of Charles VI (1740), the Habsburg dominions passed to his twenty-three year old daughter Maria Theresa. The German princes ignored the Pragmatic Sanction (1713) guaranteeing her succession, and looked forward to partitioning the Habsburg's lands. Frederick the Great, who had just inherited the Prussian throne, was first to strike. He invaded Silesia and won solid victories. Maria Theresa soon demonstrated that she had a strong mind and will of her own. She went to Hungary's Magyar nobles and appealed for support. In exchange for her promise of sovereignty within the Habsburg Empire, the Magyars offered her loyalty and the troops necessary to resist the invaders. With Hungarian troops and British and Dutch financial aide she was able to fight Prussia to a standstill, but she did not regain Silesia.