19 April 1713
THE PRAGMATIC SANCTION 01
The document that is the spark for a war: Charles VI, ruler of the Habsburg monarchy and Holy Roman Emperor, declares that any female offspring he produces will be eligible to succeed him, superseding the claims of his nieces, the daughters of the previous emperor, Joseph I.
13 May 1717
BIRTH OF MARIA THERESA 02
Until Charles has children, the Pragmatic Sanction is purely academic, but that changes with the birth of Archduke Leopold Johann. Tragically, Leopold dies before the age of one and it is Charles’ second child, Maria Theresa, who stands in line for the Habsburg throne.
10 April 1741
BATTLE OF MOLLWITZ
Without bothering to declare war, Prussia invades Silesia, eager to add territory. The new Prussian monarch, Frederick II,…