How did the First Partition of Poland expand Habsburg territory in 1772?

In 1772, the First Partition of Poland allowed the Habsburg monarchy to expand its territory by annexing the Polish province of Little Poland (Małopolska) south of the Vistula River, as well as western Podolia and the region that became known as Galicia.12

This territorial acquisition was driven by geopolitical concerns rather than initial desire. While Maria Theresa personally found the partition of Poland to be an immoral and cynical act, her chancellor, Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz, warned that refusing to participate would weaken the monarchy relative to Russia and Prussia, who were already moving to seize land. By joining the partition, Austria sought to maintain the European balance of power and prevent Russia from unilaterally expanding at the expense of the Ottoman Empire.231

Ethically, the partition represented a violation of territorial integrity that Maria Theresa had long opposed, yet she ultimately prioritized the strategic security of the Habsburg state over these moral objections.23