Examen du System des Cours de Vienne, de Petersborug, et de Berlin. Concernant le demembrement de la Pologne.

CONTEMPORARY ANALYSIS OF THE FIRST PARTITION OF POLAND


8vo. Disbound. London 1773. (The imprint is purposefully false; all examples of this pamphlet were actually printed in Amsterdam.) First Edition.

The pamphlet concerns the 1772 first partition of Poland, judging the partition neither just nor useful. "… an unjust system by virtue of the violation of all the rights of Men; pernicious to Europe by an example that destroys the ties of society; dangerous to two Powers interested in the unmeasured and free elevation of the third, of which both Powers have much to fear." (Translated from the Polish)

The First Partition of Poland, or the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, took place in 1772 as the first of 3 partitions that ended the existence of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth by 1795. Frederick the Great engineered the partition to prevent Austria, jealous of Russian successes against the Ottoman Empire, from going to war. The weakened Commonwealth's land, including what was already controlled by Russia, was apportioned among its more powerful neighbors – Austria, Russia and Prussia – so as to restore the regional balance of power in Central Europe. With Poland unable to effectively defend itself, and with foreign troops already inside the country, the Polish parliament ratified the partition in 1773 during the Partition Sejm convened by the three powers. An interesting piece of Eastern European history. Leaves show very mild toning, o/w Very Nice. Rare.