When Russia, Prussia and Austria partitioned Poland
Abstract
Excerpt: "In the mid 18th century, the fragility and potential collapse of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was a matter of concern for the great courts of Europe. At its height, the Commonwealth’s territory covered nearly a million km2, mainly made up of vast plains and dense forests. It was a buffer zone with no real natural borders, located between three powers that were hungry for expansion: Austria, Prussia and Russia..."