"To Many Observers From The West, The Miseries Caused By Poland's Incorporation Into The Russian Empire

"To many observers from the West, the miseries caused by Poland's incorporation into the Russian Empire were often thought to be essentially constitutional in nature. Since Russian Autocracy ran contrary to Poland's traditions, it was imagined that a few modifications in the form of government -- a few concessions to local autonomy, a few gestures in the direction of democratization -- would somehow eliminate Polish grievances. Hence, when Polish insurrections continued to occur in spite of the reforms of so-called 'liberal Tsars', western opinion tended to lose patience and to believe the Russian stereotype of the ungrateful, incorrigible, and anarchic Pole."

Norman Davies, God's Playground vol 2