Its members were mainly rich landowners from Austrian and Russian occupied parts of Poland, with bulk of them living in Galicia.

Centralizacja also had members in Volhynia and former Grand Duchy of Lithuania: its target was a general insurrection, with support of Turkey and revolutionary France.

Polish patriots hoped for an armed conflict between Russia and Turkey (see History of the Russo-Turkish wars), in which they supported the Ottomans.

The number of Polish military personnel in northern provinces of the Ottoman Empire was about 1700; their camps were visited by French and English officers.

In early March 1797, a group of Polish officers created Zwiazek Wojskowy (Military Association), commanded by Joachim Denisko.