Tale of Agony

The fifth and last volume of Jasienica's history of Poland covers the period from the death in 1696 of King Jan Sobieski to 1797 - the partition of the Commonwealth of Poland and Lithuania by Russia, Prussia and Austria. It was a century of struggle for political reform, culminating in the proclamation in 1791 of the Constitution of the Third of May, the first written constitution in Europe, second only in the world to that of the United States. Until then, the Commonwealth government had relied on medieval traditions. There was a parliament (called Seym), but it was paralyzed by the requirement of a unanimous vote, which meant a single veto could overrule the majority. The kings of Poland were elected following the extinction of the Jagiellonian dynasty. Chaos resulted, weakening the nation in its relations with powers ruled by absolute monarchs.