Editing Tadeusz Kościuszko (section)

==Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth==
[[File:Joseph Grassi Kosciuszko.jpg|thumb|left|Portrait by [[Josef Grassi]], 1792]]

On 15 July 1784, Kościuszko set off for Poland, where he arrived on 26 August. Due to a conflict between his patrons, the [[Czartoryski|Czartoryski family]], and King Stanisław August Poniatowski, Kościuszko once again failed to get a commission in the Commonwealth Army. He settled in a small town called Siechnowicze.<ref name="Herbst432"/> His brother Józef had lost most of the family's lands through bad investments, but with the help of his sister Anna, Kościuszko secured part of the lands for himself.<ref>[[#Storozynski2011|Storozynski, 2011]], p. 177.</ref>  He decided to limit his male peasants' ''[[corvée]]'' (obligatory service to the lord of the manor) to two days a week and completely exempted the female peasants. His estate soon stopped being profitable, and he began going into debt.<ref name="Herbst432"/> The situation was not helped by the failure of the money promised by the American government—interest on late payment for his seven years' military service—to materialize.<ref>[[#Storozynski2011|Storozynski, 2011]], p. 178.</ref> Kościuszko struck up friendships with liberal activists; [[Hugo Kołłątaj]] offered him a position as lecturer at Kraków's [[Jagiellonian University]], which Kościuszko declined.<ref>[[#Storozynski2011|Storozynski, 2011]], p. 181.</ref>

The [[Great Sejm]] of 1788–1792 introduced some reforms, including a planned build-up of the army to defend the Commonwealth's borders. Kościuszko saw a chance to return to military service and spent some time in Warsaw, among those who engaged in the political debates outside the Great Sejm. He wrote a proposal to create a militia force, on the American model.<ref name="Herbst432"/><ref>[[#Storozynski2011|Storozynski, 2011]], p. 187.</ref>  As political pressure grew to build up the army, and Kościuszko's political allies gained influence with the King, Kościuszko again applied for a commission, and on 12 October 1789, received a royal commission as a [[major general]], but to Kosciuszko's dismay<ref name=":0">Niezwykle też rozdrażnienie odbiło się w liście, pisanym do generała Niesiołowskiego z Włocławka d. 7 lutego 1790 r.:
, Zaklinam na wszystko, co jest w życiu najmilszego, to jest żoneczkę i dziatki . . . abyś chciał JWPan Dobrodziej wyrwać mnie z miejsca tak nieprzyjemnego, kosztownego i nic jeszcze nic mającego. Bóg widzi: słowa nie mam do kogo przemówić - i dobrze, bo z wołami nigdy nie gadałem. Co za Gaskony ! Ale dam pokój opisywać krajowych;  powiem tylko, że kraj piękny i tenby być powinien dla poczciwych i gospodarnych Litwinów przeznaczonym, a nie dla nich, gnuśnych i niedbałych. Chciejcie mnie powrócić do Litwy; chyba się wyrzekacie mnie i niezdolnym widzicie do służenia wam? Któż jestem? Azali nie Litwin, śpółrodak wasz, od was wybrany? Komuż mam wdzięczność okazywać (za rekomendacyę sejmiku brzeskiego?), jeżeli nie wam? Kogo mam bronić, jeżeli nie was i siebie samego?  Jeżeli to was nie zmiękczy do wniesienia o mnie na Sejmie, abym powrócił: to ja, sam chyba, Bóg widzi, co złego sobie zrobię ! no złość mnie bierze:  z Litwy abym w Koronie służyl,  gdy wy nie macie trzech generałów. Kiedy was nizać na sznurku będzie przemoc, wtenczas chyba ockniecie się i o siebie dbać będziecie"

from Siemieński's "Listy Kościuszki", no. 62, p. 162 and p. 206 of the book "Kościuszko. Biografia z dokumentów wysnuta" by Tadeusz Korzon.</ref> in the Army of the Kingdom of Poland.<ref name="Herbst432" />

He began receiving a high salary of 12,000 [[Polish zloty|zlotys]] a year, ending his financial difficulties. On 1 February 1790, he reported for duty in [[Włocławek]], and wrote in a letter after a few days, calling the local inhabitants "lazy" and "careless", in contrast to "good and economical Lithuanians". In the same letter, Kosciuszko begged general [[Franciszek Ksawery Niesiołowski]] for a transfer to the Army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, but his wishes were not granted.<ref name=":0" /> Around summer, he commanded some infantry and cavalry units in the region between the [[Bug (river)|Bug]] and [[Vistula|Vistula Rivers]]. In August 1790 he was posted to [[Volhynia]], stationed near [[Starokostiantyniv]] and [[Międzyborze, Greater Poland Voivodeship|Międzyborze]].<ref name="Herbst432"/> Prince [[Józef Poniatowski]], who was the King's nephew, recognized Kościuszko's superior experience and made him his second-in-command, leaving him in command when he was absent.<ref>[[#Storozynski2011|Storozynski, 2011]], p. 203.</ref>

Meanwhile, Kościuszko became more closely involved with political reformers such as Hugo Kołłątaj, [[Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz]] and others.<ref>[[#Storozynski2011|Storozynski, 2011]], p. 194.</ref>  Kościuszko argued that the peasants and Jews should receive full citizenship status, as this would motivate them to help defend Poland in the event of war.<ref>[[#Storozynski2011|Storozynski, 2011]], p. 195.</ref>  The political reformers centered in the [[Patriotic Party]] scored a significant victory with adopting the [[Constitution of 3 May 1791]]. Kościuszko saw the Constitution as a step in the right direction, but was disappointed that it retained the monarchy and did little to improve the situation of the most underprivileged, the peasants and the Jews.<ref>[[#Storozynski2011|Storozynski, 2011]], pp. 213–14.</ref>  The Commonwealth's neighbors saw the Constitution's reforms as a threat to their influence over Polish internal affairs. A year after the Constitution's adoption, on 14 May 1792, reactionary magnates formed the [[Targowica Confederation]], which asked Russia's [[Catherine the Great|Tsaritsa Catherine II]] for help in overthrowing the Constitution. Four days later, on 18 May 1792, a 100,000-man Russian army crossed the Polish border, headed for Warsaw, beginning the [[Polish–Russian War of 1792]].<ref>[[#Storozynski2011|Storozynski, 2011]], pp. 218–23.</ref>

===Defense of the Constitution===
[[File:Tadeusz Kośiuszko during battle of Racławice.PNG|thumb|''Kościuszko'', by [[Juliusz Kossak]]]]

The Russians had a 3:1 advantage in strength, with some 98,000 troops against 37,000 Poles;<ref>[[#Bardach|Bardach, 1987]], p. 317.</ref> they also had an advantage in combat experience.<ref name="Storozynski223">[[#Storozynski2011|Storozynski, 2011]], p. 223.</ref>  Before the Russians invaded, Kościuszko had been appointed deputy commander of Prince Józef Poniatowski's infantry division, stationed in [[Western Ukraine|West Ukraine]]. When the Prince became [[Commander-in-chief|Commander-in-Chief]] of the entire Polish (Crown) Army on 3 May 1792, Kościuszko was given command of a division near [[Kyiv|Kiev]].<ref name="Herbst433">[[#Herbst|Herbst, 1969]], p. 433.</ref>

The Russians attacked a wide front with three armies. Kościuszko proposed that the entire Polish army be concentrated and engage one of the Russian armies, to assure numerical parity and boost the morale of the most inexperienced Polish forces with a quick victory; but Poniatowski rejected this plan.<ref name="Storozynski223"/>  On 22 May 1792, the Russian forces crossed the border in Ukraine, where Kościuszko and Poniatowski were stationed. The Crown Army was judged too weak to oppose the four enemy columns advancing into West Ukraine, and began a fighting withdrawal to the western side of the [[Southern Bug|Southern Bug River]], with Kościuszko commanding the rear guard.<ref name="Herbst433"/><ref>[[#Storozynski2011|Storozynski, 2011]], p. 224.</ref>

On 18 June, Poniatowski won the [[Battle of Zieleńce]]; Kościuszko's division, on detached rear-guard duty, did not take part in the battle and rejoined the main army only at nightfall. His diligent protection of the main army's rear and flanks won him the newly created [[Virtuti Militari]], to this day Poland's highest military decoration. Storożyński states that Kościuszko received the Virtuti Militari for his later, 18 July victory at [[Dubienka]].<ref name="Herbst433"/><ref>[[#Storozynski2011|Storozynski, 2011]], p. 230.</ref> The Polish withdrawal continued, and on 7 July Kościuszko's forces fought a delaying battle against the Russians at [[Volodymyr-Volynskyi]], the Battle of Włodzimierz. On reaching the northern Bug River, the Polish Army was split into three divisions to hold the river defensive line—weakening the Poles' point of numerical superiority, against Kościuszko's counsel of a single strong, concentrated army.<ref name="Herbst433"/>

Kościuszko's force was assigned to protect the front's southern flank, touching up to the Austrian border. At the [[Battle of Dubienka]] (18 July 1792), Kościuszko repulsed a numerically superior enemy, skilfully using terrain obstacles and field fortifications, and came to be regarded as one of Poland's most brilliant military commanders of the age.<ref name="Herbst433"/> With some 5,300 men, he was confront 25,000 Russians led by General [[Mikhail Kakhovsky|Michail Kachovski]].<ref name="Storozynski228–229">[[#Storozynski2011|Storozynski, 2011]], pp. 228–29.</ref> Kościuszko had to retreat from Dubienka, as the Russians crossed the nearby Austrian border and began flanking his positions. <ref name="Storozynski228–229"/> Russians won the battle. <ref> Konstantin Karl Falkenstein. Thaddäus Kosciuszko. - Leipzig, 1834 (2. Aufl.). - source: The Foreign Quarterly Review, Vol. 15 (March—July 1835) - P. 117. https://books.google.ru/books?id=pZsYAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA117&lpg=PA117#v=onepage&q&f=false</ref>

After the battle, <!-- On 1 August 1792, need source for that date-->King Stanisław August Poniatowski promoted Kościuszko to [[Lieutenant general|lieutenant-general]] and also offered him the [[Order of the White Eagle (Poland)|Order of the White Eagle]], but Kościuszko, a convinced republican would not accept a royal honor.<ref name="Otrębski1994">[[#Otrębski|Otrębski, 1994]], p. 39.</ref><ref name="Falkenstein1831">[[#Falkenstein|Falkenstein, 1831]], p. 8.</ref> News of Kościuszko's victory spread over Europe, and on 26 August he received the [[List of people granted honorary French citizenship during the French Revolution|honorary citizenship of France]] from the [[National Legislative Assembly (France)|Legislative Assembly]] of [[French Revolution|revolutionary France]]. While Kościuszko considered the war's outcome to still be unsettled, the King requested a ceasefire.<ref name="Herbst433"/><ref>[[#Storozynski2011|Storozynski, 2011]], p. 231.</ref>  On 24 July 1792, before Kościuszko had received his promotion to lieutenant-general, the King shocked the army by announcing his accession to the Targowica Confederation and ordering the Polish–Lithuanian troops to cease hostilities against the Russians. Kościuszko considered abducting the King as the [[Bar Confederation|Bar Confederates]] had done two decades earlier, in 1771, but was dissuaded by Prince Józef Poniatowski. On 30 August, Kościuszko resigned from his army position and briefly returned to Warsaw, where he received his promotion and pay, but refused the King's request to remain in the Army. Around that time, he also fell ill with [[jaundice]].<ref name="Herbst433"/>