Maria Theresa's father was born in 1740.
Charles VI -LRB- 1 October 1685 -- 20 October 1740 ; Karl VI . -RRB-. succeeded his elder brother , Joseph I , as Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia -LRB- as Charles II -RRB- , King of Hungary and Croatia -LRB- as Charles III -RRB- , and King of Serbia , Archduke of Austria , etc. , in 1711 .. Holy Roman Emperor. Holy Roman Emperor. King of Hungary. King of Hungary. King of Bohemia. King of Bohemia. Archduke of Austria. Archduke of Austria. Joseph I. Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor. Croatia. King of Croatia. King of Serbia. King of Serbia. He unsuccessfully claimed the throne of Spain as Charles III following the death of its ruler , and Charles 's relative , Charles II of Spain , in 1700 .. Charles II of Spain. Charles II of Spain. He married Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel , by whom he had his two children  : Maria Theresa , born 1717 , the last Habsburg sovereign , and Maria Anna , born 1718 , Governess of the Austrian Netherlands .. Habsburg. House of Habsburg. Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel. Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel. Maria Theresa. Maria Theresa. Maria Anna. Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria ( 1718–1744 ). Austrian Netherlands. Southern Netherlands#Austrian Netherlands. Four years before the birth of Maria Theresa , faced with his lack of male heirs , Charles provided for a male-line succession failure with the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 .. Maria Theresa. Maria Theresa. Pragmatic Sanction of 1713. Pragmatic Sanction of 1713. The Emperor favoured his own daughters over those of his elder brother and predecessor , Joseph I , in the succession , ignoring the decree he had signed during the reign of his father , Leopold I. Charles sought the other European powers ' approval .. Joseph I. Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor. Leopold I. Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor. They exacted harsh terms  : Britain demanded that Austria abolish its overseas trading company .. overseas trading company. Ostend Company. In total , Great Britain , France , Saxony-Poland , the Dutch Republic , Spain , Venice , States of the Church , Prussia , Russia , Denmark , Savoy-Sardinia , Bavaria , and the Diet of the Holy Roman Empire recognised the sanction .. Great Britain. Kingdom of Great Britain. France. Early Modern France. Saxony. Electorate of Saxony. Poland. Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Dutch Republic. Dutch Republic. Venice. Republic of Venice. States of the Church. Papal States. Prussia. Kingdom of Prussia. Russia. Russian Empire. Savoy-Sardinia. Kingdom of Sardinia. Bavaria. History of Bavaria. Diet of the Holy Roman Empire. Diet of the Holy Roman Empire. France , Spain , Saxony-Poland , Bavaria and Prussia later reneged .. France. Early Modern France. Saxony. Electorate of Saxony. Poland. Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Prussia. Kingdom of Prussia. Bavaria. History of Bavaria. Charles died in 1740 , sparking the War of the Austrian Succession , which plagued his successor , Maria Theresa , for eight years .. Maria Theresa. Maria Theresa. War of the Austrian Succession. War of the Austrian Succession