Description
The Three Partitions of Poland took place in 1772, 1793 and 1795. These partitions erased an independent Poland from the world map for over one hundred years, dividing Polish territory up between Russia, Austria and Prussia. From the Russian perspective, Poland needed to be absorbed into Russia because, at this time, Poland was undergoing a process of national reform and democratization that threatened Russian power. The Three Partitions greatly increased Russian influence in the context of Eurasia.
Note that the borders shown on our map correspond to the borders of 1750, not the modern-day Polish borders.
Source
Congress, Library of. Ed. Glenn E. Curtis. "Poland: Historical Setting." About.com: Medieval History. About.com, 2014. Web. 8 Feb. 2014.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Partitions_of_Poland.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Religions_in_Poland_1750.PNG