Second Partition of Poland

The Second Partition of Poland took place in 1793, dividing further territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth between the Kingdom of Prussia and the Russian Empire. It followed the First Partition of 1772 and came in reaction to Polish efforts at reform, particularly the progressive Constitution of May 3, 1791, which neighboring autocracies viewed as a dangerous threat.

Russia, under Empress Catherine the Great, intervened militarily after conservative Polish nobles formed the Targowica Confederation in opposition to the reforms, and Prussia joined in seizing territory. The partition stripped Poland of vast lands and population, leaving a much-diminished rump state that was effectively reduced to a Russian protectorate, dominated by foreign troops and influence.

The humiliation provoked the Kosciuszko Uprising of 1794, a national insurrection that was ultimately crushed. In its aftermath, the Third Partition of 1795 divided the remaining Polish territory among Russia, Prussia, and Austria, erasing Poland entirely from the map. The Polish state would not regain its independence until after the First World War in 1918.