Maximilian Francis was the youngest son of Archduchess Maria Theresia of Austria and the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I. Early in life he was selected by his parents into a religious career. On 3 October 1769 he was made the coadjutor of the Teutonic Order by his uncle, the grandmaster Charles Alexander of Lorraine. In 1774 he travelled extensively through Europe, going around Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and France, and he became acquainted with other members of the order. His mother wanted to appoint him the governor-general of Hungary, so he was sent there for vigorous military training. He led a short campaign in the War of the Bavarian Succession but soon fell sick and his army abandoned the lands they had occupied.