But more pressing than the recovery of these lands was the breaking down of the barrier by which Sweden kept Russia away from the Baltic. To a very slight extent this was a recovery of old Russian territory; but the position now won by Russia was wholly new. ♦Wars of Charles and Peter. 1700-1721.
Foundation of Saint Petersburg. 1703.♦ The war with Charles the Twelfth made Russia a great Baltic power, and Peter the Great, early in the struggle, set up the great trophy of his victory in the foundation of his new capital of Saint Petersburg on ground won from Sweden. ♦Cession of Livland, &c., by Sweden.♦ The peace of Nystad confirmed Russia in the possession of Swedish Livland, Esthland, Ingermanland, part of Carelia, and a small part of Finland itself. ♦Further advance of Russia. 1741-1743.♦ Another war, ended by the Peace of Åbo, gave Russia another small extension in Finland.
At the same time Sweden was cut short in her other outlying possessions. ♦Sweden loses Bremen, Verden, and part of Pomerania.♦ Of her German fiefs, the duchies of Bremen and Verden passed, first to Denmark, then to Hannover. But her Baltic possessions were only partly lost, to the profit of Brandenburg. The frontier of Swedish Pomerania fell back to the north-west, losing Stettin, but keeping Stralsund, Wolgast, and Rügen. Denmark meanwhile advanced in the debateable land on her southern frontier. ♦Danish conquest of the Gottorp lands. 1713-1715.♦ The Danish occupation of Bremen and Verden was only momentary; but the Gottorp share of Sleswick and Holstein was conquered, and the possession of all Sleswick was guaranteed to Denmark by England and France. ♦The Gottorp lands in Holstein restored.♦ But the Gottorp share of Holstein, as an Imperial fief, was given back to its Duke. ♦They pass to Denmark in exchange for Oldenburg. 1767-1773.♦ Lastly, when the house of Gottorp had mounted the throne of Russia, the Gottorp portion of Holstein was ceded to Denmark in exchange for Oldenburg and Delmenhorst, which were at once given to another branch of the family.
♦First partition of Poland. 1772.♦
In the latter part of the eighteenth century the three partitions of Poland brought about the all but complete recovery of the lands which the Lithuanian dukes had won from Russia. ♦Russian share.♦ The first partition gave Russia Polish Livland, and all the lands which Poland still kept beyond Duna and Dnieper. The greater part of White Russia was thus won back. ♦Prussian share.
Brandenburg and Prussia geographically united.♦ At the same time the house of Hohenzollern gained its great territorial need, the geographical union of the kingdom of Prussia with the lands of Brandenburg and Pomerania, now increased by nearly all Silesia. This union was made by Poland giving up West Prussia—Danzig remaining an outlying city of Poland—and part of Great Poland and Cujavia, known as the Netz District.[71] ♦Austrian share.
Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria.♦ The Austrian share, the new kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, was a kind of commemoration of the conquests of Lewis the Great:[72] but, while it did not take in all Red Russia, it took in part of Podolia and of Little Poland south of the Vistula, making Cracow a frontier city. ♦Russian territory held by Austria.♦ Austria thus became possessed of a part of the old Russian territory, most of which she has kept ever since.
♦Second partition. 1793.♦
The Polish state was thus maimed on all sides; but it still kept a considerable territorial extent. The second partition, the work of Russia and Prussia only, could only be a preparation for the final death-blow. ♦Russian share.♦ It gave to Russia the rest of Podolia and Ukraine, and part of Volhynia and Podlasia. Little Russia and White Russia were thus wholly won back, and the Russian frontier was advanced within the old Lithuanian duchy. ♦Prussian share.♦ Prussia took nearly all that was left of the oldest Polish state, the rest of Great Poland and Cujavia, and part of Mazovia, forming the South Prussia of the new nomenclature. Gnesen, the oldest Polish capital, the metropolis of the Polish Church, now passed away from Poland.
The remnant that was left to Poland took in the greater part of Little Poland, part of Mazovia, the greater part of the old Lithuania with the fragment still left of its Russian territory, Samogitia and the fief of Curland. ♦Third partition. 1795.♦ The final division was delayed only two years. This time all three partners joined. ♦Russian share.♦ Russia took all Lithuania east of the Niemen, with its capital Vilna, also Curland and Samogitia to the north, and the old Russian remnant to the south. ♦Austrian share.♦ Austria took Cracow, with nearly all the rest of Little Poland, as also part of Mazovia, by the name of New Galicia. ♦Prussian share.♦ Prussia took Danzig and Thorn, as also a small piece of Little Poland to improve the frontiers of South Prussia and Silesia, perhaps without thinking that this last process was an advance of the Roman Terminus. The capital Warsaw, with the remnant of Mazovia and the strip of Lithuania west of the Niemen, also fell to Prussia. The names of Poland and Lithuania now passed away from the map.
♦No original Polish territory gained by Russia in the partitions.♦
It is important to remember that the three partitions gave no part of the original Polish realm to Russia. Russia took back the Russian territory which had been long before won by Lithuania, and added the greater part of Lithuania itself, with the lands immediately to the north. ♦The old Poland divided between Prussia and Austria.♦ The ancient kingdom of Poland was divided between Prussia and Austria, and the oldest Poland of all fell to the lot of Prussia. ♦Poland passes to Prussia,♦ Great Poland, Silesia, Pomerania, the Polish lands which had passed to the mark of Brandenburg, once united under Polish rule, were again united under the power to which they had gradually fallen away. ♦Chrobatia to Austria.♦ Austria or Hungary meanwhile took the rest of the northern Chrobatia, seven hundred years after the acquisition of the former part, and also the Russian land which had been twice before added to the Magyar kingdom.
♦Advance to the Euxine.♦