Born in lands that are in present-day Belarus, then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Kosciuszko was the son of a modest gentry family, and he was educated at the Polish King's cadet school. Following the outbreak of the American War of Independence in 1775, troubled by divided loyalties at home, he crossed the Atlantic to present his credentials. Kosciuszko served Washington's cause with distinction, and was valued as an expert in fortification. After eight years of service, he returned to his homeland, where the political situation was highly volatile.

A liberal, Kosciuszko backed progressive reforms, but these measures prompted retaliation from Poland's absolutist neighbours, who acted in conjunction with a clique of reactionary Polish nobles. Following the seminal Constitution of 3rd May 1791, Poland was subjected to the second of three partitions by Russia, Austria and Prussia. Kosciuszko led a national Uprising in 1794 in which he managed to persuade both nobles and peasants to fight, promising extensions of liberties. After initial successes, the insurgents were overwhelmed by Russian forces. Kosciuszko was imprisoned in St Petersburg by Tsarina Catherine the Great, and the remaining Polish lands were absorbed by the conquerors.

Kosciuszko was freed in 1796 by Tsar Paul, Catherine's heir, and he lived in exile in Switzerland. Later, he was disinclined to throw in his lot with Napoleon, whom he did not trust. He died in 1817. The following year, it was permitted that Kosciuszko be laid to rest in Krakow, in the crypts of the Cathedral on Wawel Hill. In 1840, Polish explorer Pawel Strzelecki named an Australian peak “Mount Kosciuszko” in honour of the fighter.

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