Polish-Prussian alliance
Encyclopedia
The Polish-Lithuanian and Prussian alliance was an alliance signed on 29 March 1790 in Warsaw
between representatives of the Republic of Poland
and the Kingdom of Prussia
. Prussia tried to take opportunity of the Russian Empire
's wars with the Ottoman Empire and Sweden and move the weak Commonwealth into its sphere of influence
. Some factions in the Commonwealth deemed this as an opportunity to shake free from decades of Russian control.
Each country promised to aid the other in case of war, and in a secret clause, the Commonwealth was to cede Gdańsk
and Toruń
to Prussia. However, the Great Sejm
in 1791 declared that Commonwealth territories could not be divided. The Treaty of Jassy
in January 1792 ended the Russian war with the Ottomans, and in April of that year the First Coalition
wars began, forcing Prussia to move the bulk of its forces west to deal with revolutionary France. Russia, angered by Poland's attempt to move out of its influence, invaded Poland in May
. Prussia refused to aid Poland, arguing that it was not consulted with regards to the 3rd May Constitution, which invalidated the alliance, and when in January 1793 a Prussian corps entered Greater Poland
, it was not as a Commonwealth ally, but instead to guarantee Prussia's share of spoils in the Second Partition of Poland
.
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
between representatives of the Republic of Poland
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
and the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
. Prussia tried to take opportunity of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
's wars with the Ottoman Empire and Sweden and move the weak Commonwealth into its sphere of influence
Sphere of influence
In the field of international relations, a sphere of influence is a spatial region or conceptual division over which a state or organization has significant cultural, economic, military or political influence....
. Some factions in the Commonwealth deemed this as an opportunity to shake free from decades of Russian control.
Each country promised to aid the other in case of war, and in a secret clause, the Commonwealth was to cede Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
and Toruń
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
to Prussia. However, the Great Sejm
Great Sejm
The Great Sejm, also known as the Four-Year Sejm was a Sejm of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth that was held in Warsaw, beginning in 1788...
in 1791 declared that Commonwealth territories could not be divided. The Treaty of Jassy
Treaty of Jassy
The Treaty of Jassy, signed at Jassy in Moldavia , was a pact between the Russian and Ottoman Empires ending the Russo-Turkish War of 1787–92 and confirming Russia's increasing dominance in the Black Sea....
in January 1792 ended the Russian war with the Ottomans, and in April of that year the First Coalition
First Coalition
The War of the First Coalition was the first major effort of multiple European monarchies to contain Revolutionary France. France declared war on the Habsburg monarchy of Austria on 20 April 1792, and the Kingdom of Prussia joined the Austrian side a few weeks later.These powers initiated a series...
wars began, forcing Prussia to move the bulk of its forces west to deal with revolutionary France. Russia, angered by Poland's attempt to move out of its influence, invaded Poland in May
Polish-Russian War of 1792
The Polish–Russian War of 1792 or War in Defence of the Constitution was fought between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth on one side, and the Targowica Confederation and the Russian Empire on the other....
. Prussia refused to aid Poland, arguing that it was not consulted with regards to the 3rd May Constitution, which invalidated the alliance, and when in January 1793 a Prussian corps entered Greater Poland
Greater Poland
Greater Poland or Great Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief city is Poznań.The boundaries of Greater Poland have varied somewhat throughout history...
, it was not as a Commonwealth ally, but instead to guarantee Prussia's share of spoils in the Second Partition of Poland
Second Partition of Poland
The 1793 Second Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was the second of three partitions that ended the existence of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth by 1795. The second partition occurred in the aftermath of the War in Defense of the Constitution and the Targowica Confederation of 1792...
.