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-The **Partitions of Poland** were a series of three territorial annexations by [Russia](/wiki/russia), [Prussia](/wiki/prussia), and Austria in the late 18th century. These acts ultimately dissolved the [Commonwealth](/wiki/commonwealth), removing an independent Polish state from the map of Europe for over a century.
-- [Empire](/wiki/empire)
-- [Europe](/wiki/europe)
-- [State](/wiki/state)
+The **Partitions of Poland** were a series of three territorial annexations by [Russia](/wiki/russia), [Prussia](/wiki/prussia), and [Austria](/wiki/austria) in the late 18th century. These acts ultimately dissolved the [Commonwealth](/wiki/commonwealth), removing an independent Polish state from the map of [Europe](/wiki/europe) for over a century.
+## History
+### Context
+By the mid-18th century, the [Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth](/wiki/commonwealth) was a vast but politically weakened state. Its unique political system, characterized by the *liberum veto* and a powerful nobility, often led to internal paralysis and made it vulnerable to interference from its powerful neighbors: Russia, Prussia, and Austria. These monarchies, seeking to expand their influence and territory, viewed the Commonwealth as a ripe target due to its internal instability and lack of a strong central government. Attempts by Polish reformers to modernize the state, inspired by Enlightenment ideals, were ultimately too little and too late to prevent foreign intervention.
+### First Partition (1772)
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+The **Partitions of Poland** were a series of three territorial annexations by [Russia](/wiki/russia), [Prussia](/wiki/prussia), and Austria in the late 18th century. These acts ultimately dissolved the [Commonwealth](/wiki/commonwealth), removing an independent Polish state from the map of Europe for over a century.
+## See also
+- [Poland](/wiki/poland)
+- [Empire](/wiki/empire)
+- [Europe](/wiki/europe)
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