Stanislaw II August Poniatowski (redirected from Stanislaw Poniatowski)

Stanislaw II August Poniatowski

 orig. Stanislaw Poniatowski

(born Jan. 17, 1732, Wolczyn, Pol.—died Feb. 12, 1798, St. Petersburg, Russia) King of Poland (1764–95). Son of a Polish noble, he was sent in 1757 to Russia to win support for Polish interests and became the lover of the future Empress Catherine II. In 1764 Catherine used Russian troops and influence to ensure Stanislaw's election as king. He tried to introduce administrative reforms, but opposition from Polish nobles and from Catherine forced him to continue his rule as a pawn of Russia. He attempted to pass a new constitution but could not stop the partitions of Poland (1772, 1793, 1795), after which he abdicated.

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Stanislaw II August Poniatowski 

Born Jan. 17, 1732, in Wołczyn; died Feb. 12, 1798, in St. Petersburg. Last king of Poland, who reigned from 1764 to 1795.

From 1757 to 1762, Poniatowski served as the envoy of Poland and Saxony to Russia. He was elected king with the support of Catherine II and the Prussian king Frederick II. His policies followed those of Russia. Poniatowski abdicated on Nov. 25, 1795, and spent the last years of his life in St. Petersburg.