> >describing the system as it existed by the end of the century, wagner writes: "the situation of the peasants in poland was better than in most other countries. in france and germany, for example, the owners of landed estates had unlimited jurisdiction over them, including the power to punish by death. in russia, their economic oppression was notorious, and one of the reasons catherine ii gave for the partition of poland was the fact that thousands of peasants escaped from russia to poland to seek a better fate." piotr kimla noted that the russian government spread international propaganda, mainly in france, which falsely exaggerated serfdom conditions in poland, while ignoring worse conditions in russia, as one of the justification for the partitions.
DEUS VULT