Great Sejm (1 gen 1788 anni – 1 gen 1792 anni)

Descrizione:

Sejm Czteroletni

In return for Poniatowski's support against Turkey, Catherine the Great agrees to a Sejm without liberum veto. However, she didn't allow too big of an army to join and in turn no big political changes were considered.

Three parties formed during the Great Sejm:
- King's club: wanted an increase in king's competences and keeping the current relationship to Russia
- Patriotic club: Ignacy Potocki, AK Czartoryski, H. Kołłątaj; supported strong parliamentarism in the Commonwealth, greater independence from Russia and hoped for Prussian support
- Hetman party: the conservatives - KF Branicki, S. Rzewuski, Sz. Potocki, KN Sapieha; wanted more autonomy to the regions, a republic, and even stronger ties to Russia.

The King's and Patriotic clubs joined forces towards the end. Patriotic moods were also growing stronger.

Reforms:
- Military: an army of 100K, funded by taxes from the nobles (10% income tax) and the clergy (20% income tax) who could state their income themselves. In effect, only 65K could be equipped.
- Administration of towns
- Indivisibility of the Commonwealth's territories
- Limits on political rights of landless nobles, whose votes could no longer be bought by magnates
- More rights for townspeople - voice during Sejms, though without voting rights
- Constitution of the 3rd of May: by king Poniatowski and Ignacy Potocki

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