 Joseph and Prince Kaunitz arranged the First Partition of Poland despite Maria Theresa 's protestations . Her sense of justice pushed her to reject the idea of partition , which would hurt the Polish people . The duo argued that it was too late to abort now . Besides , Maria Theresa herself agreed with the partition when she realised that Frederick II of Prussia and Catherine II of Russia would do it with or without Austrian participation . Maria Theresa claimed and eventually took Galicia and Lodomeria , a province claimed by Hungarian monarchs since the 13th century ; in the words of Frederick , " the more she cried , the more she took " . 
