Why was the Kingdom of Poland-Lithuania dissolved?

250 years ago

When Poland was first divided

To maintain a balance between Russia, Prussia and Austria, the territory of Poland-Lithuania had to end the 18th century. It is a matter of urgency. On 5 August 1772 the first division of Poland was established in the Treaty of St. Petersburg.

For 200 years, Poland-Lithuania had been a powerful double state. Its area ranged from the Baltic Sea almost to the Black Sea. In the 18th century the country was weakened by wars and domestic conflicts. The three “Black Eagles” knew this instability: Prussia, Russia and Austria – all three with black eagles in the coat of arms.

In 1764 Stanisław August Poniatowski had climbed the Polish royal throne with Russian help. He was a former lover and Günstling of Russian Zarin Katharina II, but not the puppet she thought. Since the victory in the Nordic War, Russia has become the new hegemonial power in Europe. Katharina noted:

“I wonder if Russia can use a depot neighbour better than the happy anarchy in which Poland is located and which enables us to proceed as desired. ‘

The Russian invasion in 1768 and the counter-force Prussia and Austria

In 1768, Russian troops marched into Poland-Lithuania to support the king against insurgent little nobles. At the same time, Katharina wanted to prevent Poniatowski’s reform attempts. However, neither Prussia nor Austria accepted a Russian predominance in Poland-Lithuania, especially since the Zaren Empire had to expect great territorial gains in the south due to the simultaneous war against the Ottomans. Austria also took a warfare against Russia. In order to maintain a balance of powers, Katharina had to make territorial concessions to Prussia and Austria: the victim was the weakened Poland-Lithuania.

The Prussian King Friedrich II. For a long time, a connection between Pomerania and the East Prussia, located further north-east. There was Polish territory. Later, he left how important this area was to him:

“But in order to make less jealousy, I tell everyone that I saw only sand, tannins, heaths and Jews on my journey. ‘

Start of secret negotiations on the division of Poland-Lithuania

At the end of 1769, Austrian Empress Maria Theresia had the Zipser cities occupying the Polish southwest border. A year later, Prussian troops marched into western Polish areas – with Russian agreement. Prussia and Russia began with secret negotiations on the division of Poland-Lithuania. Maria Theresia had conscience:

“God give me that I don’t have to answer for it once in the beyond.”

But she was not willing to take advantage of the two others. Friedrich II commented:

“She wept, but she took.”

On 5 August 1772 the first division of Poland was established in the Treaty of St. Petersburg. Poland-Lithuania lost more than a third of its population and more than a quarter of its territory – over 200,000 square kilometers with four and a half million inhabitants. Prussia got the desired land connection, Austria southern territories with the city of Lemberg, and Russia with 92,000 square kilometers in the east the largest area.

After two further divisions, Poland-Litauen disappeared from the map from 1795. Only after the First World War was a Polish state rebuilt in 1918. The will for freedom and the spirit of resistance against the occupying powers is still present in the art and cultural history of Poland.

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