The Polish Constitution of 1791: Europe's First Modern Charter

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the dramatic story of Poland's Constitution of 3 May 1791, the first modern written constitution in Europe and the second in the world after the United States. They discuss the reformers behind it, including King Stanisław August Poniatowski, Ignacy Potocki, and Hugo Kołłątaj, and the desperate political context of a Commonwealth on the brink of partition. The episode covers the Four-Year Sejm, the progressive reforms that abolished liberum veto, established a hereditary monarchy, and granted limited rights to burghers, as well as the fierce opposition from conservative magnates and the subsequent Targowica Confederation that invited Russian intervention. The conversation also touches on the constitution's legacy as a symbol of Polish resilience and its role in the Kościuszko Uprising. Finally, the hosts reflect on how short-lived the constitution was—only 19 months before the Polish-Russian War of 1792—yet how it remains a cornerstone of Polish national identity. #ConstitutionOf3May1791 #PolishConstitution #StanisławAugustPoniatowski #HugonKołłątaj #IgnacyPotocki #FourYearSejm #TargowicaConfederation #PolishRussianWar1792 #KościuszkoUprising #LiberumVeto #PolishLithuanianCommonwealth #EnlightenmentPoland #PolishHistory #EasternEurope #FexingoHistory #History #Poland #ConstitutionalHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo