When did the final partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth occur?

Poland, also known as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, was divided up among neighboring countries over a series of three distinct partitions, with the final one occurring in 1795. After the final partition Poland ceased to be an independent country until after World War I.

During the late 1600s and into the 1700s, Poland's status as a European power was reduced greatly, to the point that Russian Tsars would determine the election of the Polish monarch (a king was chosen by the Commonwealth's parliament, called a "Sejm"). The political rivalry among Poland's neighbors (Prussia, Austria and Russia) prompted each to take territory from Poland. The three participants convened a meeting of the parliament between 1773 and 1775 in order to formalize the partition of Poland. This first partition reduced the size of Poland by about 30% of the original land area.

The second partition in 1793 reduced the size of the country by nearly 1/2, leaving Poland as a small buffer state between Russia and Prussia, with a puppet king on the throne. The final partition divided the remainder between Russia, Prussia and Austria.