Russo-Prussian alliance

The Russo-Prussian alliance was signed by the Kingdom of Prussia and the Russian Empire on 11 April 1764. It expanded on the Treaty of Saint Petersburg of 1762, which ended the fighting in the Seven Years' War between those two countries. It was a defensive alliance, in which each party declared it would protect the territorial stability of the other. It further allowed both countries to intervene in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, which was one of the primary intentions of the treaty.

The treaty was a creation of the Russian diplomat Nikita Ivanovich Panin. It expanded on the Treaty of Saint Petersburg of 1762, which ended the fighting in the Seven Years' War between Prussia and Russia. Signed on 11 April 1764, it laid the foundation for the "northern system" in Russian politics in which Russia and Prussia were allied with Great Britain. Although the Anglo-Prussian Alliance had waned around that time, the ties between Great Britain and Russia strengthened, with a trade alliance signed in 1766.

The alliance was defensive in nature, each party declaring it would protect the territorial stability of the other. This provided Prussia with important security on the international scene by turning its most dangerous enemy into an ally. The alliance was also aimed at counteracting the power of the Austrian, or Habsburg, Empire. From Russia's perspective, Austria had been less willing to compromise on issues related to the expanding Russian sphere of influence and was thus less attractive as an ally at that time. According to some historians, Russia would become the dominating partner in the alliance, partially fulfilling one of its goals from the Seven Years' War: increased influence over Prussia. Others have taken the view that the treaty was a skillful victory for Prussia despite the tendency of Russia to treat Prussia as a junior partner. Shortly before his death, Frederick the Great of Prussia declared that it was the most advantageous treaty he had made.

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