In the 18th century, Russia, Austria and Prussia divided Poland three times in 1772, 1793 and 1795 respectively. Poland was originally a European power and began to decline in the mid-17th century. Russia, Austria and Prussia took the opportunity to interfere in Poland's internal affairs and carve up Polish territory.

In 1772, Poland was partitioned for the first time, which aroused the patriotic enthusiasm of the Polish people to recover lost territories and maintain national independence. In accordance with the demands of the people, the Polish Parliament passed the "Proposal of Territorial Integrity" and the "May 3rd Constitution" in 1791, which would not cede an inch of Polish territory in the future. This aroused hatred and fear in Russia and other countries. Therefore, Russia and Prussia sent troops to suppress the reform movement of Polish patriots.

On January 23, 1793, Russia and Prussia signed the Agreement on the Second Partition of Poland in Petersburg. The agreement gave Russia a part of Belarus, including Minsk, a part of Lithuania, and most of the Ukrainian region west of the Dnieper River, covering an area of 250,000 square kilometers. Chorussia occupied Poznan, Iris, Chensbikhov, Torun, and Kerdansk, covering an area of 58,000 square kilometers; real power over the rest of Poland was also held by the Russian ambassador to Poland. After the second partition, Poland ceased to be an independent country.