 Maria Theresa replaced Maria Josepha as heiress presumptive to the Habsburg realms the moment she was born ; Charles VI had issued the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 which had placed his nieces behind his own daughters in the line of succession . Charles sought the other European powers ' approval for disinheriting his nieces . They exacted harsh terms : in the Treaty of Vienna ( 1731 ) , Great Britain demanded that Austria abolish the Ostend Company in return for its recognition of the Pragmatic Sanction . In total , Great Britain , France , Saxony @-@ Poland , United Provinces , Spain , Venice , States of the Church , Prussia , Russia , Denmark , Savoy @-@ Sardinia , Bavaria and the Diet of the Holy Roman Empire recognised the sanction . France , Spain , Saxony @-@ Poland , Bavaria and Prussia later reneged . 
