The mighty Habsburg Empire was on shaky ground as France, Prussia, Bavaria, and Saxony collectively gave a big fat "non" to the Pragmatic Sanction, which would have ensured Maria Theresa's inheritance of the throne. This bold move sparked the War of the Austrian Succession, a global conflict that would engulf Europe and last for nine years. The War would see shifting alliances, battles on multiple fronts, and the rise of Prussia as a major power. The fate of the Habsburg Empire, and with it, the balance of power in Europe, hung precariously in the balance.