One of the most powerful states in Europe the middle of the second millennium - Poland - the XVIII century into a country torn apart by internal contradictions, in the arena of disputes between neighbors - Russia, Prussia, Austria.Partition of Poland was a natural process of development of this country.
main cause of the crisis, in which resides the Polish state, became the feud of the largest Polish magnates, each of which, on the one hand, sought by all means to the political leadership, on the other hand, sought support in neighboring countries, thus opening up his country to foreigneffect.
worth noting that, despite the fact that Poland is a monarchy, the royal power was relatively weak.First, the king of Poland was selected in the Diet, in which throughout the XVIII century interfered with Russia and France, Prussia and Austria.Secondly, one of the main principles of work of the Sejm was "liberum veto" when a decision has to be taken absolutely all present.One vote "against" was enough to debate broke out with renewed vigor.
For Russia the Polish question has long been one of the most important in its foreign policy.Its essence was not only to strengthen its influence in the European country, but also to protect the rights of the Orthodox population, residing in the territory of modern Ukraine and the Baltic states.
That is the situation of the Orthodox population became the reason that caused the first partition of Poland.The government agreed to Catherine II with King Stanislaw Poniatowski on the adjustment of the rights of Orthodox and Catholic population, but a large part of the nobility that resisted and revolted.Russia, Prussia and Austria were forced to send troops to the territory of the Commonwealth, which eventually gave the Prussian King Frederick II the opportunity to speak about the section of the Polish lands.Sections of the Commonwealth became an unavoidable reality.
As a result of first partition of Poland in 1772 moved to the Russian territory of Belarus and eastern parts of present-day Latvia, Prussia received Polish coast of the North Sea and Austria - Galicia.
However, this partition of Poland is not over.Part of the Polish nobility was well aware that in order to save their country needed political reforms.To that end, in 1791 the Constitution was adopted in Poland on which the monarchy ceased to be elective, and the principle of "liberum veto" was canceled.Such transformations have been met with suspicion in Europe, which just reached its climax the French Revolution.Russia and Prussia re-entered the Polish troops in the limits and to initiate a new section of the once mighty state.
According to the second partition of Poland in 1793 Russia has regained the right-bank Ukraine, Belarus and Central and Prussia had coveted it Gdansk, which she immediately renamed Danzig.
Such actions of European states led to the beginning Polish national liberation movement led by T. Kosciuszko.But this uprising was brutally suppressed by Russian troops led by Alexander Suvorov.The third section of the Commonwealth in 1795 led to the fact that this state has ceased to exist: the central part, along with Warsaw was ceded to Prussia, Courland, Lithuania, and Western Belarus - to Russia, and South Poland Krakow - to Austria.
partition of Poland with regard to Russia completed the reunification of Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian people and gave rise to further their cultural development.
