"Ode to Kosciusko” written by John Keats in 1816 represents one among many pieces of poetry, which honour the famous Polish statesman Tadeusz Ko¶ciuszko. Poets were inspired to immortalize his name in their works because of his noble character and life story.

Throughout Ko¶ciuszko's involvement in the American War of Independence and in the leadership of the Polish insurrection of 1794, he manifested strong beliefs in equality, liberty, self-government, democracy and education for all. He displayed empathy for the common and downtrodden man, sensitivity to human suffering, patriotism, and commitment to hihest ideals.

Deeply disturbed by Poland's oppression under the partitions, and joined by other Polish émigrés and patriots, Ko¶ciuszko organized a national uprising based on ideology similar to that of the French Revolution, becoming its most prominent leader.

Ko¶ciuszko took charge at a time when Poland had already been partitioned for 22 years (since 1772) and when this insurrection failed, the third partition followed. However, his example of courage motivated an entire nation to fight for their freedom. The people needed someone to rekindle nationalistic feelings and give them encouragement. He did not place his faith in the Polish aristocracy and soldiers, but expected everyone, including ordinary peasants, to show support for the independence movement. In his valiant attempt to liberate Poland from Russian, Prussian and Austrian oppression, he became known as a champion of freedom, an enlightened thinker and a bold reformer.

Ko¶ciuszko left Europe in 1776 with no letters of recommendation or money, but with an eagerness to enter the American army. He was excited by the ideals of the revolution and the fact that American society lacked aristocracy, monarchy and feudalism. This was in stark contrast to the situation in some European societies where most aristocrats were power-hungry and greedy; many monarchs considered themselves absolute rulers by divine right, while numerous feudal landlords exploited their peasants without regard for human rights.

Thinking of his homeland, Ko¶ciuszko dreamt that the nationalities which made up the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: the Ukrainians, Ruthenians, Lithuanians and Polish, would eventually voluntarily join under one government, like the people in United States of America.

While overseas, Ko¶ciuszko had the opportunity to witness the fight for the freedom of the North American colonies and to make valuable contributions with his engineering skills and military acumen. He served under General Gates at Saratoga, planned the fortifications at West Point, and selected favourable areas for defense and battles. George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and future President of the United States, wrote about him,

"The engineer in the army (Cosieski I think is his name) is a gentleman of science and merit. From the character I have had of him, he is deserving of notice.” After the end of the war, United States Congress made him an American citizen and promoted him to the rank of brigadier general.

Despite being a foreigner, Tadeusz Ko¶ciuszko was admired by American poets because he traveled from Europe to fight for the American cause.

In the "Columbiad” Joel Barlow praises his engineering skills:

But on the center swells the heaviest charge,
the squares develop and the lines enlarge.
Here Kosciusko�s mantling works conceal'd,
his batteries mute, but soon to scour the field.

Romantic poets - John Keats, Samuel Coleridge and Lord Byron - recognized in Ko¶ciuszko the same humane ideas that they espoused. He advocated liberty of person, mass education, was anti-racial, anti-colonial and detested dictatorship.

In the "Age of Bronze” Lord Byron mentions:

Kosciusko's name might scatter fire through ice, like Heclas' flame.

A poem on the love of country in celebration of the independence of the USA, contains this verse by David Humphreys:

Our levied forces Kosciusko join'd
Expert to change the front, retreat, advance
And judge of ground with military glance.

Besides his army expertise, Ko¶ciuszko showed tremendous sensitivity and charity in his everyday encounters. He was seen to feed British prisoners out of his meager allowance and made a point of opposing slavery by demonstrating compassion towards the exploited blacks, who reminded him of the oppressed Polish peasantry.

He donated the money that American Congress paid him for his service ($12208.54 US) towards purchasing, freeing and educating slaves. He wrote in his will:

I hereby authorize my friend, Thomas Jefferson, to employ the whole thereof in purchasing Negroes from among his own or any others, and giving them liberty in my name; in giving them an education in trade or otherwise; in having them instructed for their new condition in the duties of morality, which may make them good neighbours, fathers, mothers, husbands and wives; in their duty as citizens, teaching them to be defenders of their liberty and country, of the good order of society and whatsoever may make them happy and useful.

In tribute to this great man, a town in Mississippi is named Kosciusko, and there is a county in the northern Indiana Lake Region named Kosciusko county.

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The experience of the American Revolution prepared Ko¶ciuszko adequately for his role in liberating his own country from under the control of the powers that partitioned it. His focus on liberty and equality continued to be the catalyst behind future endeavors.

Upon returning to Poland, Ko¶ciuszko was foremost the patriot, determined to save his country. Right at the start of the insurrection, on March 24, 1794 he took an oath in the main square of Krakow, proclaiming to all that he would not abuse his power as leader, that he would only strive towards attaining independence and self-government for Poland.

Throughout the insurrection, he penned letters addressed to the whole nation, affirming that his authority was only being used in the service of his homeland and reporting on the course of the uprising. This frequent correspondence shows that he valued the trust people placed in him and saw the importance of keeping them informed and inspired.

When mobs of angered citizens demanded that traitors be executed on the spot, Ko¶ciuszko constantly refused and reminded the criminal courts that fair and lawful trials are essential, arguing that even criminals have basic rights. The hangings that took place later were of the key traitors who joined the Targowica confederacy: those who betrayed the Constitution of May 3 and were still found in Poland, such as Bishop Jozef Kossakowski and others.

Meanwhile, wealthy merchants and the aristocracy feared that a reign of terror similar to that of the French Revolution would ensue. They hesitated to express support for the insurrection and their moderate stance slowed the progress of the uprising. Likewise, the feudal landlords hindered the effort because they stalled the mobilization of Ko¶ciuszko�s army of volunteers.

They were reluctant to let their peasants, whom they considered their property, enroll in the army. They worried that the crops would not be sowed and harvested on time because of a shortage of peasants. Often families of those who went off to fight were punished and harassed by these landlords. In spite of all the obstacles, the main thrust of the revolt was in the poor nobility (szlachta), the working class and peasantry.

Ko¶ciuszko's nationalistic speeches, full of patriotism and zeal, propelled them towards action, and they fought with anything and everything they owned: swords, axes, and scythes. Unlike most nobles, he thought that people are all equal, and that only education or wealth makes artificial distinctions. Ko¶ciuszko won the love and trust of the common people by identifying with the lower classes – he wore peasant-style clothes and fought alongside them in the front lines.

As chief commander he proclaimed a freedom of religion so that men of all faiths would be eligible to take part in the uprising, and so the Unites, Orthodox and Roman Catholic would be equal. Aware that landlords pressured their serfs to stay and work the land rather than fight, he promised freedom to any peasant who took up arms along with at least two of his sons. Moreover, he gave away land leftover by émigrés and traitors to any soldier that performed exceptionally well in battle. In his army the social class did not matter. A peasant could become an officer if he deserved the rank. The response of the Polish people was tremendous. Their fervent feelings for the cause were expressed in the Polish Marseillaise (Mazurek Dabrowskiego).

Perhaps the most remembered episode of the Ko¶ciuszko Insurrection is the victorious Battle of Rac³awice, fought on April 4, 1794 against the Russian army, led by General Tormasov. It was commemorated in the Panorama of the Battle of Rac³awice, a painting by Wojciech Kossak initially exhibited in Lwow, now on display in Wroclaw. For the nation which had lost its independence, the memory of this glorious victory was reason to not lose their hope of gaining freedom.

After the disastrous Maciejowice battle Ko¶ciuszko was himself wounded and imprisoned. His soldiers and all people became desperate. Then, Suvorov's army's massacre of Warsow's citizens led to the capitulation on October 5, 1794. The six-month campaign ended in failure, but Ko¶ciuszko is remembered and respected to this day because he tried with such persistence against great odds to liberate his homeland. As a protest to the injustice committed to his country, Ko¶ciuszko became an émigré and chose exile in Switzerland after tsar Paul I freed him from the Peter and Paul fortress on the condition that he never return to Poland.

Disturbed by the ruthless russification and germanization techniques and disapproving of the social structure and political situation of Poland, Ko¶ciuszko wrote to Thomas Jefferson April 2, 1816: Everything has gone up in smoke. He felt that the partitions should not have been overlooked and dismissed by other nations. The romantic poets noticed Ko¶ciuszko's circumstances and were moved by his struggle and defeat. They recognized him as a tragic figure who saw expansion of great empires being accomplished at the expense of rights to self-determination and liberty of nations.

Samuel Coleridge wrote in his poem "Kosciusko”:

O what a loud and fearful shriek was there,
as though a thousand souls on earth groan pour'd!
Ah me! They view�d beneath an hireling's sword
their Koskiusko fall!

The French historian Jules Michelet, writing about the time period of Tadeusz Ko¶ciuszko, commented: "Poland would not allow itself to be extinguished and buried as long as the spark of national vitality shone out.” The great leader - "Naczelnik” - Tadeusz Ko¶ciuszko, embodied that very spark which ignited the fire of resistance and insurrection in the Polish nation.

Dominika Lozowska

Panorama Polska

vol. 13, No. 11 (145) Listopad 2005