by The History Chicks | Aug 7, 2024 | Episode, Podcasts
We wrap up our two-part series on the life of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria! This is an epic tale of war (more than we’ve ever discussed) and family (also more than we’ve ever discussed!) We talk about the many steps she took as Maria Theresa reassembled the empire she had inherited and strategically laid the foundations of cultural reform that changed the course of history.
(more…)by The History Chicks | Jul 24, 2024 | Episode, Podcasts
Destined from her cradle for a seat on the throne, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria had to fight both the prejudices of her age and some of the greatest warriors of the time to secure her empire. Her life was so large, it’s going to require two episodes! In this one, we begin with a little background on her family, you may have heard of them? The Habsburgs? They of a 700-year dynasty? There were a lot of wars, fluid country lines, alliances, and lands that extended across modern-day Europe that helped shape the world that Maria Theresa was born into, and we give you an outline of that history.
(more…)by The History Chicks | Aug 17, 2020 | Episode, Podcasts
Sisi as a newlywed circa 1855
Empress Sisi’s story often reads like a fairytale…usually because a lot of the coverage of her life is fiction. The basics do parallel those tales: a vivacious, beautiful young woman is chosen from all the lands as the love of the Austrian emperor. As a beloved Empress, she adds fresh energy to Viennese court while riding horses, maintaining her youthful energy, being a fashion icon, and raising a family.
But the reality behind that lovely facade is a little darker, a little sadder, and did not end in a “happily ever after.” (more…)
Beckett Graham and Susan Vollenweider: Two women. Half the population. Several thousand years of history. About an hour.
