Historical and Legal Legitimation of Acquisitions of the Habsburg Monarchy in the First Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, 1772–1773
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/1728-2640.2026.162.6
Keywords:
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, border, First Partition of Poland, Habsburg Monarchy, diplomacy, legitimation, historical-legal debateAbstract
Background. The article explores the historical and legal legitimization of the territorial acquisitions of the Habsburg Monarchy in the First Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1772–1773. Particular attention is given to the legal and political arguments employed by both sides to justify or contest the legitimacy of territorial changes, as well as their role within the broader framework of eighteenth-century European diplomacy.
Methods. The study applies a comprehensive methodological approach combining general scientific and specialized historical methods. Source analysis is used to critically examine international treaties and diplomatic documents of 1772–1773; discourse analysis highlights rhetorical and argumentative strategies; while historical-legal and comparative-legal methods allow for the juxtaposition of Austrian and Polish interpretations of international law.
Results. The research identifies three principal lines of argumentation employed by the partitioning powers: appeals to the alleged “anarchy” within the Commonwealth; historical-legal legitimization through reference to the “ancient rights” of monarchs over annexed territories; and coercion of the Polish-Lithuanian state into “voluntary” recognition of the loss of its sovereign territories. The Polish side attempted to use the debate as a diplomatic tool to delay the partition and seek international support, but these efforts proved ineffective. In contrast, Austrian reasoning produced tangible outcomes: Vienna framed the annexation of Galicia and parts of Lesser Poland as a “revindication,” i.e., the “return” of lands supposedly once under the authority of the Habsburg crowns of Hungary and Bohemia, and in this context, the annexed territories were given a corresponding name: the “Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria with the Duchies of Auschwitz and Zator”.
Conclusions. The historical-legal debate surrounding the First Partition of the Commonwealth had limited influence on the actual political process but served as an important instrument for legitimizing Austria’s actions and shaping diplomatic narratives in eighteenth-century Europe. The study demonstrates that legal arguments in this period often functioned as political rhetoric designed to reinforce geopolitical interests rather than as effective mechanisms of international law.
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