Battle of Olszynka Grochowska

Olszynka Grochowska, an 1886 painting by Wojciech Kossak

Date	25 February 1831
Location	East of Warsaw, Poland
Result	Inconclusive¹ Polish military victory

Belligerents

Poland

Russian Empire

Commanders and leaders

Józef Chłopicki

Jan Zygmunt Skrzynecki

Jan Krukowiecki

Hans Karl von Diebitsch

Grigoriy Vladimirovich Rosen

Strength

36,000-40,000 men, 115 cannon

60,000 men, 178 cannon

Casualties and losses

7,000 casualties

at least 9,500 casualties

Hans Karl von Diebitsch

The battle of Olszynka Grochowska was the largest battle of the November Uprising and biggest in Europe since the battle of Waterloo. It was fought between the armies of Poland and Russia on 25 February in the woods near Grochów, at the eastern outskirts of Warsaw.

The first months after the outbreak of the November Uprising saw no hostilities between Poland and Russia. Both the Polish commander Józef Chłopicki and Russian Tsar Nicholas I were hoping for a peaceful solution to the conflict. However, neither side could propose a satisfactory compromise, and on 25 January 1831 Nicholas was deposed from the Polish throne.

This was seen as a de facto declaration of war and the Russian Army under Hans Karl von Diebitsch was ordered to enter Poland and crush the rebellion. The Russian army entered Poland on 4 February and started a fast advance towards Warsaw. Despite several minor battles and skirmishes, in which the Russian army suffered significant losses, the advance could not be stopped by the Polish forces, which were both numerically and technically inferior.

On 24 February the Russian Army reached the outskirts of Warsaw in two columns. Initially Diebitsch was planning an all-out assault on Warsaw on 26 February. However, the successful Polish counter-attack in the Battle of Białołęka, in which the 13,500 men strong Corps of General Ivan Shakhovskoy was defeated and forced to retreat, made Diebitsch change his plans and attack earlier than planned.

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Wikipedia