▁their ▁actions ▁as ▁a ▁compens ation ▁for ▁dealing ▁with ▁troubles ome ▁neighbor ▁and ▁rest oring ▁order ▁to ▁Polish ▁an archy ▁( the ▁Bar ▁Confeder ation ▁provided ▁a ▁convenient ▁exc use ); ▁in ▁fact ▁all ▁three ▁were ▁interested ▁in ▁territorial ▁g ains . ▁ ▁After ▁Russia ▁occupied ▁the ▁Dan ub ian ▁Princi pal ities , ▁Henry ▁convinced ▁Frederick ▁and ▁Arch du ch ess ▁Maria ▁Ther esa ▁of ▁Austria ▁that ▁the ▁balance ▁of ▁power ▁would ▁be ▁maintained ▁by ▁a ▁tri part ite ▁division ▁of ▁the ▁Polish – L ith uan ian ▁Commonwealth ▁instead ▁of ▁Russia ▁taking ▁land ▁from ▁the ▁Ott om ans . ▁Under ▁pressure ▁from ▁Pr uss ia , ▁which ▁for ▁a ▁long ▁time ▁wanted ▁to ▁an nex ▁the ▁northern ▁Polish ▁province ▁of ▁Royal ▁Pr uss ia , ▁the ▁three ▁powers ▁agreed ▁on ▁the ▁First ▁Part ition ▁of ▁Poland . ▁This ▁was ▁in ▁light ▁of ▁the ▁possible ▁Aust rian - O tt oman ▁al liance ▁with ▁only ▁token ▁ob jections ▁from ▁Austria , ▁which ▁would ▁have ▁instead ▁preferred ▁to ▁receive ▁more ▁Ott oman ▁territ ories ▁in ▁the ▁B alk ans , ▁a ▁region ▁which ▁for ▁a ▁long ▁time ▁had ▁been ▁cov et ed ▁by ▁the ▁H abs burg s . ▁The ▁Rus si ans ▁also ▁with d rew ▁from ▁Mold avia ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁Aust rian ▁border . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Commonwealth ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁the ▁Polish – L ith uan ian ▁Commonwealth ▁had ▁decl ined ▁from ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁a ▁major ▁European ▁power ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁a