Editing History of Austria (section)

=== Succession and co-regency ===

Maria Theresa had a large family, [[Children of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and Maria Theresa of Austria|sixteen in all]], of whom six were daughters that lived to adulthood. They were only too aware that their fate was to be used as political pawns. The best known of these was the tragic figure of [[Marie Antoinette|Maria Antonia]] (1755–1793).

When Maria Theresa's consort Francis died in 1765, he was succeeded by his son [[Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor|Joseph II]] as emperor (1765–1790) because of male primogeniture. Joseph was also made co-ruler or co-regent with his mother. Joseph, 24 at the time, was more ideologically attuned to modernity and frequently disagreed with his mother on policy, and was often excluded from policy making. Maria Theresa always acted with a cautious respect for the conservatism of the political and social elites and the strength of local traditions. Her cautious approach repelled Joseph, who always sought the decisive, dramatic intervention to impose the one best solution, regardless of traditions or political opposition. Joseph and his mother's quarrels were usually mediated by Chancellor [[Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg|Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz]] who served for nearly 40 years as the principal minister to both Maria Theresa and Joseph.

Joseph frequently used his position as leverage, by threatening resignation. The one area he was allowed more say on was in foreign policy. In this, he showed similar traits to Austria's arch-enemy [[Frederick II of Prussia]] (1740–1786),{{Sfn|Gruber|2022}} also his intellectual model. He was successful in siding with Kaunitz in [[Realpolitik]], undertaking the [[first partition of Poland]] in 1772 over his mother's principled objections. However his enthusiasm for interfering in Bavarian politics by invoking his ties to his former brother in law, [[Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria|Maximilian III]], ended Austria in the War of Bavarian Succession in 1778. Although largely shut out of domestic policy, he used his time to acquire knowledge of his lands and people, encouraged policies he was in accord with and made magnanimous gestures such as opening the Royal Parks of [[Prater]] and [[Augarten]] to the public in 1766 and 1775 (''Alles für das Volk, nichts durch das Volk''—Everything for the people, nothing by the people).

On her husband's death Maria Theresa was therefore no longer empress, the title of which fell to her daughter-in-law [[Maria Josepha of Bavaria]] until her death in 1767 when the title fell vacant. When Maria Theresa died in 1780 she was succeeded in all her titles by Joseph II.