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Russia and Austria signed declaration on the third partition of Poland
December 23, 1794 (January 3, 1795), Austrian Ambassador, Count Ludwig von Cobenzl and graphs I. A. Osterman and A. A. Bezborodko signed in St. Petersburg Declaration on the third partition of Poland.
The first partition of Poland was carried out in 1772: Russia won the territory of Polish Livonia and parts of Belarus; Austria received a part of Lesser Poland, and Prussia – a part of Greater Poland.
Partition of the country has awakened public movement for reforms and national revival. 3 (14) May, 1791 was adopted a new constitution, according to which Poland became a hereditary monarchy with a ministerial system of executive power and parliament, elected every two years. However, magnates, who formed Targowica Confederation, were against the constitution. On their appeal the Russian and Prussian troops entered Poland. 23 January (3 February), 1793 Prussia and Russia made the second partition of Poland. Prussia received Gdansk, Torun, Great Poland and Mazovia, while Russia - a large part of Lithuania and Belarus, almost all of Volhynia and Podolia.
In 1794 in Poland took place a revolt led by Tadeusz Kosciuszko, against the partition of the country. The defeat of the uprising led to the third partition of Poland and the complete elimination of the Polish statehood.
December 23 (January 3), 1794 in St. Petersburg Declaration between Russia and Austria on the third partition of Poland was concluded. Introductory part of the document stated: "The efforts that Her Imperial Highness was forced to use to curb and stop the rebellion and insurrection, which had occurred in Poland, and been the most harmful and dangerous for the security of states, neighboring to Poland, culminated in a completely full and happy success, and Poland was completely conquered and occupied by troops of the Empress ... ". According to the declaration, Austria was allowed to bring its troops into Poland. The new frontier of Austria was to go from line to the south of Czestochowa, and further east to the intersection with the Western Bug.
13 (24) October, 1795 in St. Petersburg was signed the tripartite Convention between Russia, Prussia and Austria, for the third partition of the The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Parties mutually guaranteed one another new land properties, they had received at the partition of Poland, up to the military support in case of attack against these properties by any third party or attempt to return them to Poland.
As a result of the three partitions of the Commonwealth Russia obtained Lithuanian, Belarusian (except for the part including the town of Bialystok, which went to Prussia), and Ukrainian lands (except for the part of Ukraine seized by Austria). The native Polish territory was divided between Prussia and Austria.
Lit.: Декларация России и Австрии о третьем разделе Польши. 23 декабря 1794 г. // Под стягом России: Сборник архивных документов. М., 1992; То же [Электронный ресурс] URL: http://www.hist.msu.ru/ER/Etext/poland3.htm; Конзеля Л., Цегельский Т. Концерт трёх чёрных орлов. Споры о разделах Польши // Историки отвечают на вопросы. М., 1990; Стегний П. В. Разделы Польши и дипломатия Екатерины II: 1772, 1793, 1795. М., 2002.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:
История Российского государства: территории и границы. СПб., 2010;
Сидоров А. А. К столетию третьего раздела Польши. Варшава, 1895.