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The collapse of the state
The debilitated state was not capable of defending itself against attack by the neighbouring powers. In 1772, against a backdrop of increasing internal chaos, Russia, Prussia and Austria accomplished the First Partition of Poland, which lost 1/3 of its territory. In the 1790s Poland underwent radical domestic reform. The Constitution of the Third of May was passed (1791). Alarmed at the prospect of a strong Poland, Russia and Prussia decided to intervene.
Despite its resistance, Poland was vanquished by an overwhelming military force, which resulted in the Second Partition in 1793. This time, the aggressors were assisted by domestic traitors united under the banner of the Targowica Confederacy of magnates.
The final blow to Polish independence was dealt after the failure of the Kościuszko Insurrection, an anti-Russian uprising (1794). After several initial successes, the popular and brave National Leader, General Tadeusz Kościuszko (a hero of the American War of Independence, like his compatriot General Kazimierz Pułaski ) lost the decisive battle at Maciejowice and was taken prisoner by the Russians.
In 1795, Russia, Prussia, and Austria divided what remained of Poland-Lithuania among themselves, forcing Stanisław August to abdicate. From that moment, the name Poland disappeared from the maps of Europe for over a century.
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