Polish - About Poland - History

Poland in the age of collapse.

The increasing importance of neighbors and the weakness of Poland were marked in the moment of electing a new ruler after Jan Sobieski. The elector of Saxony Frederick Augustus Wettin gained the support of Russia, Austria and Prussia. Wettin became the king of Poland in 1697 as August II (1697 - 1733). His ambitious plans to capture Moldavia, and then Livland entangled Poland in a long-term Northern war, which waged between Sweden and Russia during 1700 – 1721. August saw an opportunity to achieve his goals when forming a pact with Russia, but the first stage of the war has been won by Sweden. In 1704 August was dethroned, and his opponents gave the throne to the ally of Charles XII – voivode of Poznań Stanisłąw Leszczyński. In 1709 Russia defeated Sweden in Połtawa, Stanisłąw Leszczyński emigrated, August II returned to Poland and tried to strengthen his power by offering territorial acquisitions in Poland in exchange for support of his plans to establish an absolute monarchy. This led to a confederacy against the king in Tarnogród (1715), Russian mediation which caused an agreement between the king and the nobility on a so called silent seym (1717). The plans of reviving the royal power have been destroyed, a constant schedule for a professional army , which would amount to 24 thousand soldiers has been established, but in practice it was possible to gather only half of that.

After the death of August his son August III became king. This happened with the support of Russia and Austria, and against the will of the Parliament which did not allow election of a foreigner. In this way Stanisłąw Leszczyński, in spite of gaining the majority, had to leave the country, and despite the fact that his father-in-law, the king of France – Louis XV supported him.

In the period of August’s reign (1733-1763) certain magnate parties of the Czrtoryscy (Familia) and the Potoccy formed, which planed to perform political system’s changes in Poland. When August III died Czartoryscy called for the help of Catharine II, the tsarina of Russia. She pointed the Lithuanian stolnik - Stanisław Poniatowski (Stanisław August, 1764 - 1795) as king. The last king in spite of the fact that he was dependent from Russia tried to perform internal reforms and protect the country from the possessiveness of the most dangerous neighbor – Prussia. The attempt to give rights to dissenters, which was demanded from Russia and Prussia, ended with the failure of the king, as the catholic nobility, for the price of guaranteeing so called cardinal rights (liberum veto, free election, the right of refusing obedience to the king, exclusive hold of offices and owning properties by the nobility) agreed the Russian intervention. But when Russia pushed giving political rights to the dissenters in Bar in 1768, the nobility formed a confederation which from a religious movement “in defense of faith and freedom” transformed into a political, military movement against Russia. The civil war encouraged Russia, Austria and Prussia to dismember Poland. In 1772 Russia captured the lands between Dźiwna, Druć and Dnieper rivers (92 thousand km2), Prussia – the Pomerania district, part of the Warmia bishopric, part of Grater Poland and Kujawy (36 thousand km2), Austria – lands south from Vistula and San rivers, i.e. part of districts of Cracow, Sandomir, Ruthenia, Bełsk, Podole and Wołyń (83 thousand km2)

The first dismemberment had a mobilizing effect on part of the society even though they were politically dependent from the neighbors. Under the conduct of the king a reform of education has been performed, the restrictions causing trade difficulties were cancelled (private internal duties), a national mint has been established in Warsaw, the measure and weight system has been unified, national manufactures were established.

When antagonism of Austria and Prussia over Silesia revived and the war between Russia and Turkey in which Austria and Sweden also participated at hand, Stanisław August called the parliament, called the Four Years Parliament from the time of debating (1788 - 1792). The parliament established the amount of the army to be 100 thousand which would be financed with taxes of the nobility (10% of income) and clergy (20%). On may 3rd 1791 a constitution has been accepted by acclamation of the majority of the present parliament members. The constitution cancelled free election, established the succession of the throne (in the side line of electors of Saxony), liberum veto, confederations and rebellions of the nobility. The legislative power was executed by the parliament, the executive Power – the Law Guard: the king and the ministers responsible before the parliament. The bourgeoisie of royal cities gained personal freedom, the right to hold offices and gain officer ranks, choose their plenipotentiaries to the parliament, representatives of their cities. The magnates formed a confederation in Targowica and called for Russia’s help, against the constitution and in defense of the nobility’s rights. From this day Targowica in the polish language is a synonym for betrayal. The war in defense of the constitution lasted over a year, and despite Polish victories in Zielenice and Dubieńka, it ended with the king’s joining the confederates of Targowice. This gave Russia and Prussia a pretext to perform another dismemberment of the country. In 1793 Russia seized Ukraine, Podole and a part of Wołyń (250 thousand km2), Prussia – Greater Poland, Kujawy, part of Masovia, Toruń and Gdańsk (58 thousand km2)

The rebellion announced in Cracow on march 24th 1794 by Tadeusz Kościuszko was the last act of saving the independence. Despite weak forces (4 thousand soldiers), the rebels were able to achieve their first victory on April 4th 1794 in Racławice. The success of Kościuszko contributed the activation of patriotic forces in Warsaw, the Russian garrison has been defeated, a shoemaker – Jan Kiliński led the insurrection of the capital. There was also a rebellion against the Russians in Lithuania. Soon enough, however, Russia and Prussia mobilized significant forces against the rebels and in June 1794 defeated them in Szczekociny and Chełm. The situation was temporarily improved by the rebellion in Greater Poland, and the victory of Jan Henryk Dąbrowski in Bydgoszcz where his march on Pomerania forced the Prussian king to retreat the besiege of Warsaw. But when Tadeusz Kościuszko failed in Maciejowice (10 X 1794) and heavily injured was held in captivity by the Russians, the will to fight collapsed. Warsaw was captured on November 4th 1794. At the beginning of 1795 a third dismemberment of Poland begun; Russia captured the remaining lands of Lithuania and Ruthenia, Austria took the remaining districts of Minor Poland with Cracow, a part of Podlasie and Masovia, Prussia took the remaining part of Podlasie and Masovia with Warsaw and a part of Minor Poland. In November 1795 Stanisław August abdicated. Poland no longer existed.

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Age of collapse