Which ruler violated the Pragmatic Sanction by taking Silesia from Maria Theresa?

• A. Maria Theresa
• B. Peter the Great
• C. Frederick the Great
• D. Catherine the Great

Answer: (C)

Dynastic succession and the protection of inherited realms are at stake here. The Pragmatic Sanction was Charles VI’s plan to keep the Habsburg lands united and to allow a daughter to inherit, ensuring Maria Theresa could rule. Frederick II of Prussia seized Silesia in 1740 during the War of Austrian Succession, taking a Habsburg possession and undermining that arrangement by forcing control of a key Habsburg territory rather than accepting Maria Theresa’s rule. This move illustrates how external powers could challenge a dynastic settlement through conquest, reshaping the balance of power in Europe. The other rulers listed did not perform this action in this period.