Why did the Confederation of Bar form in 1768?

The Confederation of Bar was formed in February 1768 by a league of Polish nobles and gentry to defend the independence of Poland and the liberties of the nobility within the Roman Catholic Church.1

The organization was a direct reaction to Russia's increasing control over Polish affairs. In early 1768, Russia compelled the Polish Sejm to abandon internal reform projects, grant full political rights to religious dissenters, and accept a status as a Russian protectorate.1

Organized at the fortress of Bar by figures such as Adam Krasiński and Józef Pułaski, the confederates sought to oppose both the Russian-backed king, Stanisław II August Poniatowski, and Russian encroachment. Although the movement was ultimately suppressed by 1772, its activities triggered a civil war and foreign intervention, which ultimately paved the way for the First Partition of Poland.12