jan 1, 1793 - 2nd Partition

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2nd Partition of Poland

Poland was doing fairly well in the war in defense of the constitution, with commanders such as Józef Poniatowski, Jan Henryk Dąbrowski and Tadeusz Kościuszko scoring victories. The Russian forces were weakening. In spite of these facts, however, king Poniatowski eventually surrendered, threatened by Catherine the Great to be deprived of the throne, and with no allies around, counting on Catherine's mercy. He joined Targowica.

The reforms of the Great Sejm were reversed and their supporters repressed, followed by a reduction in military numbers. Alas, the Russian empress didn't keep her word and in January 1973 Poland was further partitioned, by Prussia and Russia, and the king rendered powerless.

The second partition of Poland had not only grave political consequences, but also fatal economic ones, since the wealthiest territiories have been annexed by the neighbours. Many institutions went bankrupt.

Poland lost its chance to regain its position in Europe. The final partition was only a matter of time.

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