Targowica Confederation Totally Explained

Everything about The Targowica Confederation totally explained

The Targowica Confederation was a konfederacja of Polish and Lithuanian magnates agreed upon on 27 April 1792 in Saint Petersburg with the backing of Empress Catherine II of Russia. The confederation opposed the Polish Constitution of May 3, 1791, which had been adopted by the Great Sejm, especially the provisions limiting the privileges of the nobility. Text of founding act of confederation was written by Russian general Vasili Stepanovich Popov, chief of office of prince Grigori Alexandrovich Potemkin. May 14 1792 it was announced in a small town Targowica in Ukraine by members of republican plot. Following this May 18 two Russian armies entered in Poland, starting new war without war proclamation.
The forces of the Targowica Confederation defeated the forces loyal to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Sejm and King Stanisław August Poniatowski in the War in Defense of the Constitution. Their victory precipitated the Second Partition of Poland and set the stage for the Third Partition and the final dissolution of the Commonwealth in 1795. This outcome came as a surprise to most of the Confederates, who had wished only to restore the status quo ante and had expected that the overthrow of the May 3rd Constitution would achieve that end.

Leading members

Stanisław Szczęsny Potocki: Marshal (head) of the Confederation. Sentenced to death, but never apprehended. Instead, on Septembter 29, 1794, his portrait was hanged (see illustration). In 1795 he was rewarded by Catherine the Great with the Russian Order of Alexander Nevsky and the rank of general en chef.

Other magnate members:

Franciszek Ksawery Branicki: Sentenced to death during the Kościuszko Uprising but never apprehended. Emigrated to Russia, died at Biała Cerkiew, 1819.

Szymon Marcin Kossakowski: Hanged April 25, 1794, in Vilnius during the Kościuszko Uprising.

Józef Kazimierz Kossakowski: Bishop. Hanged May 9, 1794, in Kraków during the Kościuszko Uprising.

Ignacy Jakub Massalski: Bishop. Hanged June 28, 1794, in Warsaw during the Kościuszko Uprising.

Seweryn Rzewuski.

Quotes

From the Establishing Act of the Targowica Condeferation:

"The desires of Her Highness Empress of Russia [Catherinethe Great], ally of Rzeczpospolita [theCommonwealth], are and were no other than by using her armies to return to Rzeczpospolita and Poles the freedoms, and especially security and happiness to all citizens"

One of the founders of the Targowica Confederation, Stanisław Szczęsny Potocki:

"Each true Pole, not blinded by the Prussian and royalist cabal, is convinced, that our Fatherland can only be saved by Russia, otherwise our nation will be enslaved".

After Stanislaw Poniatowski's abdication and the destruction of the Commonwealth, he said:

"About past Poland and Poles [Idon't want to talk anymore]. Gone is this country, and this name, as many others have perished in the world's history. I'm now a Russian forever."

Further Information

Get more info on 'Targowica Confederation'.

External Link Exchanges

Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:

<a href="http://targowica_confederation.totallyexplained.com">Targowica Confederation Totally Explained</a>

Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned.