Why did Austria acquire Bukovina in 1775?

In 1775, Austria acquired the province of Bukovina from the Ottoman Empire primarily for strategic reasons. The territory served as a convenient and vital connection between the Austrian-held regions of Galicia and Transylvania.12

The acquisition was initiated by Joseph II, who served as co-ruler with his mother, Maria Theresa, following the death of her husband. While Maria Theresa was generally reluctant to engage in territorial expansion—having viewed the earlier partition of Poland as a cynical policy—the move to secure Bukovina helped consolidate the monarchy's geographic position in the region.2