Stanislaw August Poniatowski

Stanislaw August Poniatowski was the last king of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1764 to 1795, and the last monarch of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He was born into a wealthy and influential aristocratic family, and became involved in politics at an early age. He had a romantic relationship with Catherine the Great, the future empress of Russia, who supported his candidacy for the Polish throne after the death of Augustus III. He was elected king by the Sejm in 1764, with the backing of Russian troops. He attempted to reform and modernize the Commonwealth, which was facing internal and external threats. He established the Commission of National Education, the first ministry of education in the world, and founded the Knight's School for military training. He also initiated a series of reforms known as the Great Sejm, which resulted in the adoption of the Constitution of 3 May 1791, the first written constitution in Europe and the second in the world. The constitution aimed to strengthen the Polish state and limit the power of the nobility and the foreign influence. However, his reforms provoked the opposition of conservative forces, who formed the Targowica Confederation and invited Russia to intervene. This led to the War in Defense of the Constitution and the Second Partition of Poland in 1793, which reduced the size and sovereignty of the Commonwealth. Poniatowski reluctantly joined the Targowica Confederation, hoping to save the country from further destruction. He was unable to prevent the Kościuszko Uprising in 1794, which was a popular revolt against the foreign domination. The uprising was crushed by the combined forces of Russia, Prussia and Austria, who carried out the Third Partition of Poland in 1795, effectively ending the existence of the Commonwealth. Poniatowski was forced to abdicate and was taken as a prisoner to Saint Petersburg, where he died in 1798. He was buried in St. John's Archcathedral in Warsaw, after his body was secretly transported from Russia by his supporters. He is remembered as a brave and skillful statesman, a patron of arts and sciences, and a victim of the foreign aggression. He is also criticized for his dependence on Russia and his failure to prevent the partitions of Poland.