Editing Bar Confederation (section)

== Background ==
[[File:ChelmonskiJozef.1875.KazimierzPulaskiPodCzestochowa.jpg|thumb|''Casimir Pulaski at [[Częstochowa]].''  Painting by [[Józef Chełmoński]], 1875.  Oil on canvas.  National Museum, [[Warsaw]], [[Poland]].]]

=== Abroad ===
At the end of the [[Seven Years' War]] (1756–1763), Russia, first allied with Austria and France, had decided to support Prussia, allowing a victory of the Prussians (allied with Great Britain) over the Austrians (allied with France).

On 11 April 1764, a new treaty was signed between [[Frederick II of Prussia]] and [[Catherine II of Russia]], choosing [[Stanislaus II Augustus Poniatowski, King of Poland|Stanislaus Poniatowski]] (ex-lover of Catherine II) as the future king of Poland after [[Augustus III of Poland|Augustus III]]'s death (October 1763).

Neither France nor Austria were able to challenge this candidate and Stanislas was elected in October 1764.

===In the Commonwealth===
[[File:Konstanty Aleksandrowicz - Portrait of Karol Stanislaw Radziwill - MNK I-220 (165375).jpg|thumb|[[Karol Stanisław "Panie Kochanku" Radziwiłł|Karol Stanisław Radziwiłł]]]]

Early 18th-century Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth had declined from the status of a major European power to that of a Russian [[satellite state]], with the Russian [[tsar]] effectively choosing Polish–Lithuanian monarchs during the [[Royal elections in Poland|"free" elections]] and deciding the direction of much of Poland–Lithuania's internal politics, for example during the [[Repnin Sejm]] (1767–1768), named after [[Nicholas Repnin|the Russian ambassador]] who unofficially presided over the proceedings.<ref name="Luk"/><ref name="Scott"/>

During this session, the [[Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish–Lithuanian parliament]] was forced to pass resolutions demanded by the Russians. Many of the conservative nobility felt anger at that foreign interference, at the perceived weakness of the government under king [[Stanislaus Augustus]], and at the provisions, particularly the ones that empowered non-Catholics, and at other reforms which they saw as threatening the szlachta's [[Golden Liberty]].<ref name="Jędruch1982-159"/><ref name="WIEM"/>

The protectorate of Russia over Poland–Lithuania became official with the {{Lang|pl|Traktat wieczystej przyjaźni pomiędzy Rosją a Rzecząpospolitą}} ({{Literal translation|Treaty of perpetual friendship between Russia and the Commonwealth}}''<ref>Cf. [https://pl.wikisource.org/wiki/Traktat_wieczystej_przyja%C5%BAni_pomi%C4%99dzy_Rosj%C4%85_a_Rzecz%C4%85pospolit%C4%85_(1768) Wikisource]</ref>'') which the Repnin Sejm accepted without debate on 27 February 1768.