„Jeśli król przystąpi do konfederacji…” Rosja wobec Stanisława Augusta w 1792 r. (kwiecień–sierpień 1792 r.)
“If the King Accessed the Confederation…” Russia towards King Stanislaw August’s Accession to Targowica Confederation in 1792 (April–August 1792)

Summary/Abstract: The accession of King Stanislaw August to the Targowica Confederation was one of the factors that significantly influenced the fate of the Commonwealth. The king justified this step with a hopeless situation and the result of voting by the Guard of Laws. He also hoped that by joining the confederation, he would be able to influence its further shape.Access to new documents in Russian archives, thus far unknown to researchers, made it possible to obtain information that sheds new light on the events of that time. They reveal that the course of the Polish-Russian war and the establishment of local confederations were negatively assessed by Russian commanders in chief, contrary to official propaganda. Nor the declarations of the Targowica leaders that, after the invasion of the Russian army, the nobility throughout the whole Polish Commonwealth would confederate and entrust themselves to Empress Catherine II fulfilled – this happened only in a few places and usually by force. It was also impossible to crush, despite the great advantage, the Polish-Lithuanian troops – although they retreated as far as the Bug River, but the forces were not broken and their morale improved. In St Petersburg, consideration was given to the possibility of negotiating with Stanislaw August. Thus, it can be concluded that the decision of Stanislaw August to join the confederation was taken too quickly; moreover, Russian sources reveal that the king was determined to make it without looking at the stance of the members of the Guard. As it turned out, he achieved the opposite effect than he expected – not only did he facilitate Russia’s pacification of the country, but also he deprived himself of any influence on further events.

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