The First Partition of Poland occurred in 1772 when the territories of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were divided among three neighboring powers: the Kingdom of Prussia, the Austrian Empire, and the Russian Empire. This event was driven by the weakening of Poland's political structure and internal conflicts, which made it vulnerable to external intervention. As a result of the partition, Poland lost about one-third of its territory and population. The three powers aimed to gain land and influence while reducing Poland's sovereignty. This partition set a precedent for further divisions, leading to the eventual disappearance of Poland from the map of Europe until 1918.