# Abdication of Stanisław August (1795)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1795-abdication-of-stanislaw-august
Location: Grodno

In Grodno, under Russian pressure, the last King of Poland signed his abdication, on the name day of Catherine II. He died in Saint Petersburg in 1798. 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 (25 November 1795), 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. Abdication of Stanisław August 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
Abdication of Stanisław August mattered because it altered the structure of power and the direction of Polish statehood.

Ruler at the time: [Partitioning powers](https://poland-history.com/rulers/partitioning-powers)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Stanisław August Poniatowski](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_August_Poniatowski)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Abdication of Stanisław August](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Abdication+of+Stanis%C5%82aw+August)
- [Wikipedia — Partitions of Poland (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partitions_of_Poland)