Are we allowed to speak about the “Theresian Englightement?” In his new book, Richard Bassett strongly argues in favor of this idea and does it convincingly. To write a book on the “great Empress,” as he repeatedly calls Maria Theresia, is a challenging, almost intimidating enterprise. Alfred von Arneth (1819–97) spent almost the whole of his academic life writing a ten-volume biography on her. Bassett successfully confines himself to merely 502 pages. The confrontation with Prussia and the Austrian War of Succession; the economic, social, judicial, and political reforms that turned the Habsburg Empire into a great European power again; the intense debates between the empress and her son on the future of the monarchy and the ancien régime; and the breathtaking scientific and cultural changes, developments, and even revolutions of the eighteenth century—this excellently researched biography covers the impressive lifespan and achievements of an extraordinary monarch. Moreover, the author carefully familiarizes his readers with the confusing structures of an empire that encompassed the entire complex region of Eastern Central Europe in the early modern period.

The book is based on published sources, archive materials, and the vast amount of research being published on this subject. Among the recently published biographies, Bassett especially pays tribute to Élisabeth Badinter’s work. The author, however, resists the temptation to join one of the most prominent recent approaches and turns of historical research. Namely, the structures and logics of symbolic communication at the Viennese Court—a subject that stood in the center of Barbara Stollberg Rilinger’s celebrated book on Maria Theresia (Munich, 2017/Princeton, 2021)—is definitely not Bassett’s focus. This is the first biography written by an English-language author since 1969. The author follows more or less the standard trajectory of traditional political history in its broadest interpretation. The author devotes the first 200 pages to the stages of the Empress’ life in a conventional and strictly chronological manner. While the facts are known, his interpretation of facts is quite interesting. Bassett leaves no doubt that he regards Maria Theresia as a modernizer with extraordinary impact, a politician with a sharp intellect, and a decent ruler whose actions were grounded on unmovable moral convictions. He contrasts this judgment with his interpretation of the achievements of Frederick II and Joseph II. Both of whom are described as representatives of a culture of destruction, as politicians who were unable to substitute the structures of the ancien régime by new persisting ones. Maria Theresia, on the other hand, combined change with piety and a strict adherence to Catholic dogmatism. The fervent belief she demonstrated throughout her life made it easier for her to curtail the power of the Church and the nobility. Her motives never came under debate. Nobody doubted that the empress acted only to preserve a state that was under attack and that has shielded the interests of the church and nobility ever since. While her son styled himself as a fervent reformer, she presented herself as a loving mother of the nation who did what had to be done. She promoted Enlightenment thinkers without presenting herself as an Enlightenment thinker—a fact that made it easier for many to swallow the bitter pills she had enforced on the old elite. Her most powerful political instrument, Bassett puts forward, was her ability to compromise. Maria Theresia acted with tact and patience. She recognized the structural shortcomings of the old regime and saw its crisis clairvoyantly, but she also feared change—and, from Bassett’s perspective, rightfully so. Bassett praises the empress, and he lauds her creation—the Austrian Empire. In no other place in Europe did the Enlightenment leave deeper and more persistent marks.

The structure of the book is decidedly unusual. It is divided into two halves: whereas the first presents the protagonists’ life stories in chronological order, the second examines her legacy from a range of different perspectives. The author’s interests are wide-ranging, extending from the reestablishment of the dynasty to the creation of an espionage network that used a system of encrypted messages. Strong emphasis is laid on financial and economic development. Bassett especially draws attention to the creation of a stock market, the establishment of the banking sector, and the construction of the port of Triest. According to Bassett, the empress created structures that not only ensured the survival of the Habsburg monarchy in the nineteenth century also still have an impact on the economic competitiveness of central European states to this day. The same is true, from the author’s point of view, for the establishment of a new system for education and the reform of the Habsburgs’ administration. Bassett is interested in the question of what is left of the empress’ long and difficult reign, and he is able to point to an impressive legacy—ranging from the creation of a military border to the establishment of a confectionery industry.

This approach necessarily integrates the biography into a narrative of the emergence of European modernity with clear dichotomization between the progressive and the conservative powers. A narrative in which, Bassett insists, the empress has not yet received the honors that were due to her. It is up to the reader to determine whether or not they desire a slightly more open and impartial interpretation. Although the book is brilliantly written, the structure of the biography makes redundancies likely. The fact that the empress showed considerable tolerance toward the Jewish community in Triest is mentioned at least three times in the book. In some cases, a more intense reading of recent research literature would have been of use—especially in the case of the role of Franz Stephan at court and his impact on political affairs. Overall, however, this biography is most certainly a great achievement. It provides the reader with a reliable, useful, and inspiring description of the life of Maria Theresia, and it develops a fresh and fascinating interpretation of her role in the development of Enlightenment Europe.