His parents assured that he had a good education and, as a youth, he learned to speak Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, and French.

[4] When the January Uprising was set into motion, Padlewski was appointed general and took command of Polish insurgents in Warsaw and in the Płock Governorate.

Russian czarist troops, on 21 March, then moved into the area, and a battle near Radzanów was fought which resulted in Padlewski losing the conflict with 50 of his insurgents killed in action or drowned while escaping.

Padlewski, who was only 27 years old, was court marshaled by Russian authorities and sentenced to death by firing squad.

The Polish population who lined the street watched and “women threw bouquets of flowers from the windows, so that the whole road was strewn with roses and violets.”[2][6] Various monuments in Poland commemorate Padlewski.