Stanislaw II August Poniatowski

(born Jan. 17, 1732, Wolczyn, Pol.—died Feb. 12, 1798, St. Petersburg, Russia) King of Poland (1764–95). Son of a Polish noble, he was sent in 1757 to Russia to win support for Polish interests and became the lover of the future Empress Catherine II. In 1764 Catherine used Russian troops and influence to ensure Stanislaw's election as king. He tried to introduce administrative reforms, but opposition from Polish nobles and from Catherine forced him to continue his rule as a pawn of Russia. He attempted to pass a new constitution but could not stop the partitions of Poland (1772, 1793, 1795), after which he abdicated.

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica