In this particular case, it‘s doubly annoying because you just know that if Elizabeth had lived just two years longer, MT would have been praised for her masterful diplomacy getting this particular alliance (Austria-France-Russia) together, keeping it together and getting her provinces back.
New amusing factoid learned by biography: as part of her „come on board the anti Fritz train“ long term charm offensive that started long before war, MT asked Elizabeth to be godmother to her latest kid, which was Leopold. Elizabeth said yes, but wanted the kid to be called Peter after her father, Peter the Great. Which is why Poldl, alone of all MTs kids who have the generic Habsburg names that drive on insane in their repetition, has a new one - he‘s actually Peter Leopold and ditched the „Peter“ part only once he became Emperor. To this day, I think remains the sole Peter in the Habsburg clan.
Re: Random facts
New amusing factoid learned by biography: as part of her „come on board the anti Fritz train“ long term charm offensive that started long before war, MT asked Elizabeth to be godmother to her latest kid, which was Leopold. Elizabeth said yes, but wanted the kid to be called Peter after her father, Peter the Great. Which is why Poldl, alone of all MTs kids who have the generic Habsburg names that drive on insane in their repetition, has a new one - he‘s actually Peter Leopold and ditched the „Peter“ part only once he became Emperor. To this day, I think remains the sole Peter in the Habsburg clan.