Targowica Confederation

The Targowica Confederation is an April 27, 1792 in St. Petersburg by a part of the Polish magnates under the patronage of Empress Catherine II. Completed and two days later in Targowica announced Confederacy .

This confederation, with a significant contribution from Stanisław Szczęsny Potocki , had the goal of reversing the reforms introduced in Poland since the 1770s , in particular the constitution of May 3, 1791 , and asking for help from Russia , which hoped it would exert its influence to step up on Poland again. This was seen by many Poles at the time as a grave betrayal and is still considered a particularly dark chapter in the history of Poland today . Last but not least, the protests across the country ultimately led to the second partition of Poland in 1793.