What could've stopped Poland from being partitioned

As someone who is descended from Poles, I sometimes dabble into Polish history. Ever since I first read that Poland had gradually lost their territory to three other countries, I've always wondered:

Is there any thing the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth could've done to stop the Prussians, Austrians and the Russians from progressively conquering their land until it ceased to exist, preferably before the first partition?
 
How could that have helped?

The Liberum veto essentially paralyzed the Polish state's attempts at centralization, given that unanimity, not majority, was the requirement for ratification of various decisions.

Even so, it didn't really get bad until post-Deluge, and the rise of Russia, which exploited the Golden Liberty in order to essentially turn Poland into a client state.
 
Poland lithuania very nearly fell into union with the electorate of Brandenburg in OTL: in 1421 Frederick II, Prince Eelctor of Brandenburg was betrothed to Princess Jadwiga of Lithuania, then heiress to her father King Wladyslaw. The marriage fell through, however, after Jadwiga died, allegedly because her stepmother who gave birth to a baby boy in 1424 poisoned her. Said boy was Wladyslaw III, the king who died at the Battle of Varna.

Keep Jadwiga alive and kill her brother in the cradle. Prussia is nipped in the bud, Poland Lithuania gets a Prince electorate to cause michief in Germany and a capable ruler with an independent powerbase, and a good ally against the Teutons, Emperor and Pomerania/Scandinavia. If it still gets partitioned it won't be by Prussia.
 
Also maybe have the PLC support the Saxon electorate in the 7 years war or WoASS. Or not vote the Saxon elector at all because of the debacle of the Northern Seven Years war.. maybe vote for one of Jan Sobieski's son's that were still alive James Louis was the only one alive at the time. His wife had passed away and he could remarry one of the local magnates for domestic support, use the chaos of the WoASS & Seven Years war to quietly reform if he lives long enough. He could also marry one of Charles VI sister's it would bring direct ties to the Habsburg's and indirect ties to the House Romanov.
 
Poland-Lithuania must either utterly destroy its neighbors (Russia and Prussia) or utterly change its internal political system. As much crap as the Liberum Veto gets, the whole system of noble privileges (up to and including legalized armed rebellions) was to blame. You would need a much stronger set of Kings from Bathory on--ones who can clean up the state internally.

So maybe avoiding the Vasas? Sigismund III wasted a lot of effort trying to reclaim the Swedish throne, and screwed up the conquest of Muscovy. A Polish branch of the House of Hapsburg might be better. (EDIT: Or just have Henry Valois hold onto the Polish throne--an early Franco-Polish-Turkish alignment, in that case).

Somewhat more 'out-there,' you could wank the Ottomans and have Poland become their main client state in Northern Europe. Intact, and pressing the Turkish boot heel into the German and Russian faces forever.
 
Stop Prussia's rise. Russia was perfectly happy to keep the PLC as a puppet/buffer state, but the Prussians pushed the Polish issue. Russia and Austria hopped along for the ride, but the partitions were entirely because of Prussian ambitions.
 
A lot depends of the time of POD. But earlier posters are generally right. Avoid liberum veto, limit nobles' privileges, etc. Possibly avoid the Vasas who involved PLC into a completely unnecessary conflict with Sweden with disastrous effects. And have a king who actually enforce the law, which might eliminate Cossack rebelions.
 
Frederick I of Prussia only had the one sion Frederick WIlliam, and his wife and he seem to have lived apart after he was born, according to Wikipedia. Either have him marry a different woman (as I have an SI into Louis VIV arrange in a Print On Demand book I'm writing, it'll be called "Uneasy Lies the head That Wears A Crown") or kill off FWI early. While there's another branch of Hohenzollerns in Brandenburg, they die out by the 1790s and it's possible Frederick I might instead just let East Prussia go back to being part of Poland.

This lets Poland have a little breathing room and Brandenburg may well be content to focus on the West - if there is a war over Prussian succession, it might be rather easy, since Poland was fighting Sweden anyway, for the Brandenburg forces to become allied with Sweden and thus end up losing when Russia ultimately beats Sweden int eh Great Northern War.

As for giving the king more power, James Stuart was offered the POlish crown IIRC in 1696. If he accepts, he and his won might just try to change thigns quite a bit in POland becasue of their insistence on more centralized power, closer to absolute monarchy.
 
Poles march faster in 1410 and capture the Malbork castle, the Monastic State collapses and is carved up by Poland and Lithuania
Sigismund the Old not making his treacherous nephew Albrecht Hohenzollern duke of Prussia, and incorporates Prussia into Poland
Sigismund III not letting Brandenburg Hohenzollern inherit Prussia after the Albrecht's line died out and incorporates Prussia into Poland
One of the attempts to pass government reform in 17 century succeeds


Jagiellons marry early and have many children instead of marrying late and having few children, if they marry and have children at all.

Avoid Northern Wars

Avoid Chmielnicki's Uprising

Empress Elizabeth lives couple years longer and finishes off Prussia
 
In a previous discussion, another member noted that in 1505 an act was passed by the Sejm called nihil novi nisi commune consensu. Getting rid of that may be of some help in regard to the survival of the PLC.
 
In a previous discussion, another member noted that in 1505 an act was passed by the Sejm called nihil novi nisi commune consensu. Getting rid of that may be of some help in regard to the survival of the PLC.
Nihil novi is not that bad as long as Sejm is actually capable of making laws. But there were cases where Sejm refused to enact taxes when the enemy was inside borders, and the incomes from royal demesnes was filling pockets of magnates instead of being spent on defense and infrastructure as they were supposed to and the King could do nothing about it because offices were for life.
 
As for giving the king more power, James Stuart was offered the POlish crown IIRC in 1696. If he accepts, he and his won might just try to change thigns quite a bit in POland becasue of their insistence on more centralized power, closer to absolute monarchy.
Yeah, I think that every single king since Sigismund Vasa tried to increase royal power, and each of them failed. August II elected otl wanted to increase royal authority too, for this he joined the "short victorious war" against Sweden. Unfortunately, Sweden proved rather uncooperative in letting her neighbors stomp her.
 

ATP45

Banned
Yeah, I think that every single king since Sigismund Vasa tried to increase royal power, and each of them failed. August II elected otl wanted to increase royal authority too, for this he joined the "short victorious war" against Sweden. Unfortunately, Sweden proved rather uncooperative in letting her neighbors stomp her.
August 2 had saxon army,so he sold officer positions in Polish army.Sobieski left small,but deadly force - August turn it into small band of misfits.Even winged hussarls turned into "funeral calvary" becouse was capable only to assist in funerals.Where look great.So - just let remain army drilled as in Sobieski time - and they could beat russian army.
French cuirassiers was deadly - Sobieski style winged hussarls would eat them for breakfast.And you did not need more money for that.
 
Let Prussia lose in the 7YW, if we mix this with the Livonia being traded for East Prussia, and the Wettins succeed in making it their hereditable fief, suddenly the Wttins are in a much better position to continue being elected Polish kings, and if we mix this with the Wettins using Saxony and Prussia to raise and upkeep armies, they would likely be able to intimidate the Polish nobility into keeping the party line. With a little luck try could strengthen Polish central power.
 
Poland lithuania very nearly fell into union with the electorate of Brandenburg in OTL: in 1421 Frederick II, Prince Eelctor of Brandenburg was betrothed to Princess Jadwiga of Lithuania, then heiress to her father King Wladyslaw. The marriage fell through, however, after Jadwiga died, allegedly because her stepmother who gave birth to a baby boy in 1424 poisoned her. Said boy was Wladyslaw III, the king who died at the Battle of Varna.

Keep Jadwiga alive and kill her brother in the cradle. Prussia is nipped in the bud, Poland Lithuania gets a Prince electorate to cause michief in Germany and a capable ruler with an independent powerbase, and a good ally against the Teutons, Emperor and Pomerania/Scandinavia. If it still gets partitioned it won't be by Prussia.
This one, maybe worst troubles for russia, maybe the hohenzollern will not exist, something else happen, Austria is busy against france, just those three are too busy to care about poland, the rest is just internally organized slowly.
 
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