1788 Polish-Lithuanian legislative election

The 1788 election held in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth marked one of the most crucial events in the history of both countries prior to 1795. The elections returned a significant pro-reform camp to the Sejm of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth chosen to repair the Commonwealth's political system and prevent the country from collapsing. The Sejm that emerged as a result of the election has been dubbed the Great Sejm.

1788 Polish-Lithuanian Sejm election

18 August 1788 (1788-08-18)
All 177 seats in the Chamber of Deputies 89 seats were needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Michał Jerzy Poniatowski Stanisław Szczęsny Potocki Party Patriotic Party Hetmans' Party Leader's seat Did not stand Did not stand Seats won 93 68
Marshal before election Stanisław Kostka Gadomski Pro-Prussia Party Elected Marshal Stanisław Małachowski Patriotic Party

Background

The election was called by the King in May 1788 and the Sejmiks gathered to elect the deputies in August. The Sejm gathered on 28 September.

Sejmik Districts

# Constituency Voivodeship Deputies 1 Kraków Kraków 8 2 Poznań Poznań 8 3 Vilnius Vilnius 2 4 Ashmyany Vilnius 2 5 Lida Vilnius 2 6 Vilkmergė Vilnius 2 7 Braslaw Vilnius 2 8 Sandomierz Sandomierz 7 9 Kalisz Kalisz 8 10 Trakai Trakai 2 11 Hrodna Trakai 2 12 Kaunas Trakai 2 13 Upytė Trakai 2 14 Sieradz Sieradz 4 15 Wieluń Sieradz 2 16 Leczyca Łęczyca Leczyca Łęczyca 4 17 Samogitia Samogitia 6 18 Brześć Kujawski Brześć Kujawski 2 19 Kiev Kiev 6 20 Inowrocław Inowrocław 4 21 Chełm Ruthenia 2 22 Volhynia Volhynia 6 23 Podolia Podolia 6 24 Smolensk Smolensk 4 25 Lublin Lublin 6 26 Polotsk Polotsk 2 27 Navahrudak Navahrudak 2 28 Slonim Navahrudak 2

# Constituency Voivodeship Deputies 29 Vawkavysk Navahrudak 2 30 Płock Płock 4 31 Vitebsk Vitebsk 2 32 Czersk Masovia 2 33 Warsaw Masovia 2 34 Wizna Masovia 2 35 Wyszogród Masovia 2 36 Zakroczym Masovia 2 37 Ciechanów Masovia 2 38 Lomza Łomża Masovia 2 39 Różan Masovia 2 40 Liw Masovia 2 41 Nur Masovia 2 42 Drohiczyn Podlachia 2 43 Bielsk Podlaski Podlachia 2 44 Mielnik Podlachia 2 45 Rawa Mazowiecka Rawa Mazowiecka 2 46 Sochaczew Rawa Mazowiecka 2 47 Gostynin Rawa Mazowiecka 2 48 Brest-Litovsk Brest-Litovsk 2 49 Pinsk Brest-Litovsk 2 50 Bratslav Bratslav 6 51 Minsk Minsk 2 52 Mazyr Minsk 2 53 Rechytsa Minsk 2 54 Livonia Livonia 6 55 Chernihiv Chernihiv 4 -- Total -- 177

See also

• History of Poland in the Early Modern era (1569–1795)
• Great Sejm

References

• U. Augustyniak, Historia Polski 1572-1795, Warszawa 2008
• M. Markiewicz, Historia Polski 1494-1795, Kraków 2002