How did Maria Theresa preserve most of the Habsburg monarchy during the War of the Austrian Succession?

Maria Theresa preserved the majority of the Habsburg monarchy during the War of the Austrian Succession through a combination of steadfast resolve, diplomatic maneuvering, and strategic concessions.12

Upon her accession, she faced a coalition of powers—including Prussia, France, and Bavaria—intent on dismembering her inheritance. Rejecting the defeatism of her advisors, she took several key actions:23

• Strategic Cession: To focus her military efforts against the French and Bavarians, she ceded the prosperous province of Silesia to Frederick II of Prussia via the treaties of Breslau and Berlin.23
• Securing Support: She famously appealed to the Hungarian Estates, successfully securing a mass levy of troops to defend her lands.1
• Imperial Legitimacy: Following the death of the rival emperor Charles VII, she secured the election of her husband, Francis I, as Holy Roman emperor, restoring the dignity of the office to her family.12

The conflict concluded with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which guaranteed her right to the remaining Austrian lands, effectively preventing the total collapse of the monarchy.45