Topic: The Crisis, Reform, and Collapse of the Nobles’ Republic (revision class)

Target group

7th‑grade students of elementary school

Core curriculum

XIII. The Polish‑Lithuanian Commonwealth in the first half of the 18th century. Pupil:

1. discusses the causes and characterizes the manifestations of the state crisis in the Saxon era;

2. characterizes the systemic reform projects of Stanisław Leszczyński and Stanisław Konarski;

3. discusses phenomena showing economic progress, development of culture and education;

4. evaluates the international position of the Polish‑Lithuanian Commonwealth in Saxon times.

XVI. Rzeczpospolita in the Stanisławów era. Pupil:

1. gives examples of state repair under the reign of Stanisław August Poniatowski, including the achievements of the National Education Committee;

2. characterizes the goals and consequences of the Bar Confederation;

3. situates during the deliberations of the Great Sejm and the adoption of the Constitution of May 3; lists the reforms of the Great Sejm and the most important provisions of the Constitution of May 3;

4. explains the circumstances of establishing the Targowica Confederation and presents its consequences;

5. recognizes the characteristic features of the Polish Enlightenment and characterizes examples of the art of the Classicism period, including its own region.

XVII. The struggle to maintain independence in the last years of the 18th century. Pupil:

1. situates during the first, second and third partition of the Republic and indicates on the map territorial changes after each partition;

2. presents the causes and effects of the Kościuszko Uprising;

3. distinguishes the internal and external causes of the fall of the Polish‑Lithuanian Commonwealth.

General aim of education

The students recall the history of Poland in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• to describe the most important historical events of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries;

• to list the crises that struck Poland in the eighteenth century and what attempts at reform were undertaken;

• to explain the historical significance of the collapse of the Polish‑Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Methods/techniques

• activating

  • discussion.

• expository

  • talk.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• notebook and crayons/felt‑tip pens;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Lesson plan overview

Before classes

1. Students should recall previous lessons about the history of Poland in the 17th and 18th centuries. For this purpose, they can use recources from the e‑textbook.

Introduction

1. The teacher states the subject of the lesson, explains the aim of the lesson and together with students determines the success criteria to be achieved.

2. The teacher, introducing the students to the topic of the lesson, states that today we will try to prevent the partitions of Poland. We will check whether, knowing the history, we would be able to prevent what happened in the second half of the 18th century. He divides the table into two columns and in one he writes down the problems and weaknesses of the Commonwealth from the 17th century, which will be mentioned by the students during the lesson. In the second column, there are suggestions for solving these problems – it may remain empty until the summary phase in which it will be completed.

Realization

1. The teacher asks students to do ** Exercise 1 **. Then he asks students what important events they remember from the wars of Poland with its neighbors in the 17th century. Students should mention the Swedish Deluge, the defense of Jasna Góra, Kamieniec Podolski, Khotim and the defense of Vienna. If necessary, the teacher helps students to get answers. The teacher then asks students about the consequences of these wars for the Commonwealth. Students complete the table and perform ** Exercise 2 **.

2. The teacher reminds students about the Saxon times and their consequences for the fate of the Republic. Then he asks pupils to recall what problems Poland had that contributed to its fall. Students should mention the liberum veto, weak electoral rulers, the lack of a permanent army, emptiness of the treasury, the collapse of the idea of noble's democracy, etc. The students complete the table and exercise ** Exercise 3 **.

3. Next, the teacher begins a discussion about the times of Stanisław August Poniatowski. Asks students how they would judge the king? Was he a good ruler who cared for Poland or a tsarist Catherine II's puppet? Students should mention the King's merits and attempts to reform the period, as well as the crises, problems and wars that were associated with them. Students complete the table and perform ** Exercise 4 **, ** Exercise 5 **, ** Command 1 ** and ** Exercise 6 **.

4. The teacher takes care of the feedback provided for the students during exercises and tasks.

Summary

1. The teacher sums up the classes and then divides the students into groups. They are tasked with filling the second column, answering how it was possible to solve the emerging problems and pathologies of the Commonwealth. Students should come up with solutions to each of the problems, eg weak royal authority – solution – change of free election to hereditary monarchy. Then the students together with the teacher discuss the solutions.

2. Students carry out ** Exercise 7 **. The teacher makes sure that the exercise has been correctly performed and gives feedback.

3. The teacher assesses the students' work during the lesson, taking into account their input and commitment. For this purpose, he may prepare the evaluation questionnaire for self‑assessment and evaluation of the teacher's work and other students.

Homework

1. You've already got to know the most important figures in Polish history of the 18th century. You know who Tadeusz Kosciuszko, Hugo Kołłątaj, Stanisław Staszic, Katarzyna II Wielka were. But do you know what they looked like? Look for their images and find out what fashion was like during the Enlightenment.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

The Crisis, Reform, and Collapse of the Nobles’ Republic (revision class)

By the eighteenth century, the Polish‑Lithuanian political system became anachronistic. The state was becoming ever weaker. It did not pursue an active foreign policy; it was more of an object than a subject on the international stage. Due to the presence of the liberum veto, the nobility obstructed attempts at reform with ease. One deputy’s vote against a project was enough to dismiss the entire Sejm. The representatives of the nobility oftentimes accepted bribes from foreign powers that wished to keep Poland‑Lithuania weak. Russia had ever more say in the affairs of the country.

When Stanisław II Augustus was elected King, some of the patriotically inclined nobles rebelled against his rule and created the Bar Confederation The part of the military that remained loyal to the King suppressed the rebellion with the aid of Russian forces. Capitalizing upon the opportunity, Russia, Austria, and Prussia conducted the First Partition of Poland in 1772. During the reign of Stanisław II Augustus, a series of reforms was implemented in order to strengthen the state. The ideas of the Enlightenment, popular in the West at the time, started gaining traction. On 3 May 1791, Poland‑Lithuania adopted its Constitution, i.e. the law regulating the state’s political system. Free election and the liberum veto were abolished. The burgess class gained political rights. War against Russia in defense of the Constitution ensued; it resulted in Poland being defeated and the law being repealed, with Russia and Prussia conducting the Second Partition of Poland in 1793. This led to an uprising (insurrection) in 1794. The Polish military, joined by peasants wielding scythes (Kosynierzy), was led by Tadeusz Kościuszko, a hero of the American War of Independence. Despite the initial success against the Russians, a series of defeats followed. Kościuszko, wounded, was taken prisoner. The Russians took over Warsaw. The insurrection failed. In the wake of it, Russia, Austria and Prussia conducted the Third Partition of Poland (1795). The Polish‑Lithuanian state ceased to exist. The Commonwealth was erased from the map of Europe. The last King of the state, Stanisław II Augustus, abdicated, passing his authority onto Catherine II of Russia, then subsequently moved to Russia and died soon afterwards.