Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why did Joseph II become sole ruler of the Habsburg dominions in 1780?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Joseph II
Joseph II, Holy Roman emperor, detail of a painting by Pompeo Girolamo Batoni, 1769; in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
Joseph II became the sole ruler of the Habsburg dominions in 1780 following the death of his mother, Maria Theresa, on November 29 of that year.12
Prior to this, Joseph had served as Holy Roman emperor and co-regent alongside his mother since the death of his father, Francis I, in 1765. During that period of co-regency, Maria Theresa had retained the majority of political authority, which frequently resulted in clashes between the two. Upon her death, Joseph assumed full control and was finally able to implement his own policies, which were heavily influenced by the Enlightenment and his desire to modernize the state through administrative, legal, and ecclesiastical reforms.23