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Currently Playing: The Kościuszko Uprising and The End of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

If you like my videos and want to support me, then you can do that here: https://www.patreon.com/c/SirManateee Thank you :) Tips: https://ko-fi.com/sirmanatee The Third Partition of Poland-Lithuania in 1795 marked the end of the history of the Commonwealth, once one of the largest and mightiest states in Europe. But the Poles refused to surrender without a fight: In 1794, an uprising broke out led by Tadeusz Kosciuszko, an incredibly talented military leader who had also served in the American War for Independence. But he didn't just fight for the independence of his home country, but also for the freedom of its inhabitants. In order to motivate the Polish-Lithuanian population to take up arms against the Russian forces, he abolished the inhumane practice of serfdom. Watch today's episode to find out why the Kosciuszko uprising broke out, why it was so hard to crack down and what the eventual final partition of Poland-Lithuania meant for its inhabitants. Literature: - Anipiarkou, Vadzim V.: Der russische General und Gesandte Otto Heinrich von Igelström, die preußische Besatzung polnischen Gebiets und der Beginn des Kosciuszko-Aufstands 1793-1794, in: Zapiski Historyczne 88 (2023), Nr. 4, pp. 39-65. - Broszat, Martin: Zweihundert Jahre deutsche Polenpolitik, 4th Edition, Frankfurt am Main 1986. - Czubaty, Jarosław: ‘What is to be Done When the Motherland Has Died?’ The Moods and Attitudes of Poles After the Third Partition 1795–1806, in: Central Europe 7 (2009), Nr. 2, pp. 95-109. - Davies, Norman: God's Playground. A History of Poland, Volume I, The Origins to 1795, Revised Edition, New York 2005. -Krzoska, Markus: „Der Freiheit reinster Sohn“. Tadeusz Kościuszko als polnischer Nationalheld, in OWEP 3 (2020), Online-Version, https://www.owep.de/artikel/der-freiheit-reinster-sohn-tadeusz-kosciuszko-als-polnischer-nationalheld#fnref:1, (accessed on 24.10.2025). -Longworth, Philip: The Art of Victory. The Life and Achievements of Field Marshal Suvorov 1729-1800, New York 1966. - Lukowski, Jerzy: The Partitions of Poland 1772-1793-1795, London & New York 1999. - Walicki, Andrzej: The Enlightenment and the Birth of Modern Nationhood. Polish Political Thought from Noble Republicanism to Tadeusz Kosciuszko, Notre Dame 1989. Chapters: 0:00 An Unholy Convention 2:12 The 3rd of May Constitution and the Second Partition 5:30 Under the Russian Yoke 14:21 Tadeusz Kosciuszko 17:37 The Uprising Breaks Out 23:22 The Proclamation of Polaniec 27:45 The Empire Strikes Back 31:41 The Third Polish Partition