Maria Theresa's Family
Maria Theresa: Empress of the Hapsburgs

Home

The Hapsburgs: Who Were They? | Preceding Maria Theresa | Maria Theresa: Empress of the Hapsburg Empire | Wars During Maria Theresa's Reign | Maria Theresa's Family | Maria Theresa's Accomplishments | Sites and Links About Maria Theresa
Joseph II of Austria
Joseph II
 
     Joseph II was Maria Theresa and Duke Francis' first son, born on March 13, 1741.  He married Isabella of Parma in October 1760, who died only three years later.  They had one daughter named Maria Theresa, who passed away in 1770.
     On March 27, 1764, Joseph II was elected King of the Romans.  He needed to produce an heir, so he married Maria Josepha of Bavaria on January 10, 1765.  She died of smallpox in 1767, without an heir.
     Joseph II led Austria in the War of Bavarian Succession against Prussia and Russia.  The War was also called the "Potato War" because no real fighting occured and the soldiers spent more time picking potatoes in the fields.  In 1787, he formed an alliance with Czarina Catherine II, and helped in storming the Bastille in 1789.  He died on February 20, 1790 in Vienna.  Joseph II is remembered most for his idealistic point of view and brash actions as a ruler.

Leopold II
Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany

Leopold II
 
     Leopold II was the third son of Maria Theresa, born in 1747.  With the death of his father in 1765, he was made the grand duke of Tuscany.  With the ideas of the Enlightenment, he reformed the duchy through government, dismantling feudal institutions, and rationalizing finances.  In 1790, he succeeded his brother Joseph II as Holy Roman emperor.  During his brief two year reign, he dissolved his alliance with Russia, and formed one with Prussia against France.  He died at age 45 on March 1, 1792. 

Painting by Elizabeth Vigee Lebrun

Marie Antoinette
 
     Marie Antoinette was the last daughter of Maria Theresa, and the most famous.  She was born November 2, 1755, in Vienna.  Marie was married to Louis XVI of France in 1770, when she was 14 and he was 15.  They were a very devoted couple, but she was highly unpopular with the French because she was from Austria, the long time enemy of France.  The fact that Marie Antoinette was very beautiful, charming, and lighthearted, upset the French, but not as much as her love of expensive gowns and jewels.  Sadly, she was beheaded with her husband in October 16, 1793, during the French Revolution. 
    

Maria's Other Children
 
     Maria Theresa had sixteen children altogether, many who died young.  Here is a list of her children, and a link to an excellent site about the Hapsburg lineage.
  • Maria Elizabeth
  • Maria Anna
  • Maria Caroline,
  • Joseph Benedikt
  • Marie Christine
  • Maria Elizabeth
  • Karl Joseph
  • Maria Amalia
  • Peter Leopold
  • Maria Caroline
  • Johanna Gabriella
  • Maria Caroline
  • Ferdinand Karl
  • Marie Antoinette
  • Maximilian Franz

Click here for the Hapsburg Lineage website!

christy inc.
copyright 2003