ltaire and other prominent eighteenth-century thinkers, and paid lip service to their liberal ideas; but she did little to reform or modernize Russia. She introduced such western ideas as pleased her, at the same time increasing Russian autocracy and military power. In addition, she extended Russia's boundaries southward and westward. Catherine joined with Austria and Prussia in three partitions that completely eliminated independent Poland.On the death of Charles VI (1740), the Habsburg dominions passed to his twenty-three year old daughter Maria Theresa. The German princes ignored the Pragmatic Sanction (1713) guaranteeing her succession, and looked forward to partitioning the Habsburg's lands. Frederick the Great, who had just inherited the Prussian throne, was first to strike. He invaded Silesia and won solid victories. Maria Theresa soon demonstrated that she had a strong mind and will of her own. She went to Hungary's Magyar nobles and appealed for support. In exchange for her promise of sovereignty within the Habsburg Empire, the Magyars offered her loyalty and the troops necessary to resist the invaders. With Hungarian troops and British and Dutch financial aide she was able to fight Prussia to a standstill, but she did not regain Silesia.The Empress Maria Theresa believed in the need for reform. She increased taxes on the nobility, and strengthened the central government. She subjected the Roman Catholic Church to heavier taxes, confiscated monastic property, and expelled the Jesuits. In addition, she took the first steps toward the eventual abolition of serfdom by placing a ceiling on the amount of taxes and of labor service that the peasants could be compelled to render. Maria Theresa accomplished more to alleviate serfdom than any other ruler of the eighteenth century in Eastern Europe, with the single exception of her own son, Joseph II.Joseph II sought to govern in the spirit of enlightened despotism, initiating a far-reac...
