# Repnin Sejm and Cardinal Laws (1767)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1767-repnin-sejm-and-cardinal-laws
Location: Warsaw

Russian ambassador Repnin forced the Sejm to guarantee the liberum veto and dissenters' rights under Russian protection. Within the broader Reform & Partitions period: Under Stanisław August the Commonwealth attempted sweeping Enlightenment reforms, culminating in the Constitution of 3 May 1791, while Russia, Prussia and Austria carved up its territory in three partitions. At this point in the timeline (1767), the governing authority was Stanisław August Poniatowski (King of Poland). Last King of Poland; patron of the Enlightenment and the Constitution of 3 May 1791, he abdicated after the Third Partition. Repnin Sejm and Cardinal Laws mattered because it altered the structure of power and the direction of Polish statehood. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Repnin Sejm and Cardinal Laws mattered because it altered the structure of power and the direction of Polish statehood.

Ruler at the time: [Stanisław August Poniatowski](https://poland-history.com/rulers/stanislaw-august-poniatowski)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Repnin Sejm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repnin_Sejm)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Repnin Sejm and Cardinal Laws](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Repnin+Sejm+and+Cardinal+Laws)
- [Wikipedia — Partitions of Poland (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partitions_of_Poland)