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The Battle of Olszynka Grochowska, 1831: the fight for the alder wood

November Uprising · 25 February 1831 · Poland vs Russia · ~5 min read · Updated October 2026

By Echoes of Battle

The Battle of Olszynka Grochowska, painting by Wojciech Kossak

At a glance

Polish armyPrince Michał Radziwiłł; Gen. Józef Chłopicki
vs
Russian EmpireField Marshal Hans Karl von Diebitsch
Date
25 February 1831
Location
Grochów, on the eastern approaches to Warsaw
Period
November Uprising
Outcome
Disputed: often seen as a narrow Polish success or as indecisive; the Poles withdrew to Warsaw, which the Russians did not attack
By the numbers
SideStrengthLosses
PolandAbout 40,000About 7,000 or more killed and wounded1
RussiaAbout 60,000 or moreAbout 9,000 to 10,000 killed and wounded1

Figures are approximate and vary between sources.

Quick answer

The Battle of Olszynka Grochowska was fought on 25 February 1831 east of Warsaw1, during the November Uprising, between the Polish army and the larger Russian army of Field Marshal Diebitsch. The fiercest fighting raged for an alder wood, the olszynka, which changed hands several times. The battle was indecisive: the Poles withdrew into Warsaw, but the Russians, badly mauled, did not attack the city.

In November 1830 Polish officers in Warsaw rose against Russian rule. By February 1831 a great Russian army was marching on the capital. On the plain of Grochów, just across the Vistula from the city, the Polish army made its stand around a small alder wood.

Engraved battle plan with troop blocks east of a river and a city
Plan of the battle fought between the Russians and the Poles at Grochów on 25 February 1831, published in Germany in 1838, with Praga and Warsaw on the Vistula at lower right. Public domain

The November Uprising

On 29 November 1830 young Polish officers in Warsaw rose2 against Russian rule over the Kingdom of Poland. In January 1831 the Polish parliament dethroned Tsar Nicholas I as king of Poland2, and Russia sent a large army to crush the revolt.

Diebitsch marches on Warsaw

Field Marshal Hans Karl von Diebitsch advanced on Warsaw with a much larger army. The Polish army, nominally commanded by Prince Michał Radziwiłł but directed in practice3 by the experienced General Józef Chłopicki, fell back to defend the approaches to the capital at Grochów.

Portrait of a Russian general with tousled hair, gold epaulettes and orders
Field Marshal Hans Karl von Diebitsch, painted by George Dawe between 1821 and 1825 for the Military Gallery of the Winter Palace. Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg. Public domain

The alder wood

The key to the Polish position was a small alder wood, the olszynka. Through the day on 25 February Russian columns attacked it again and again, and Polish infantry recaptured it with the bayonet. The wood changed hands several times4, and Chłopicki was badly wounded during the fighting.

Portrait of a grey haired man in a dark coat against a dark background
General Józef Chłopicki in a portrait by Wojciech Korneli Stattler from about 1831. Public domain
The alder wood at Grochów changed hands again and again.

The Polish withdrawal

Late in the day a massed Russian cavalry attack was repulsed1, but without Chłopicki the Polish command faltered. In the evening the Polish army withdrew in good order across the Vistula into Warsaw. Diebitsch, whose army had suffered heavy losses, did not try to storm the city.

Painting of a cavalry melee and guns under heavy clouds on a snowy plain
The Battle of Grochów in 1831, painted by Bogdan Willewalde around 1850, with cavalry and artillery fighting under a stormy sky. Public domain

Why the battle mattered

Olszynka Grochowska was the largest battle of the November Uprising.2 It saved Warsaw for the time being and allowed the uprising to continue for months, until the Russians took the city in September 18312. It remains a symbol of the courage of the Polish army of 1831.

Frequently asked questions

When was the Battle of Olszynka Grochowska?

It was fought on 25 February 1831, during the November Uprising.

Who won the Battle of Olszynka Grochowska?

Neither side decisively; historians often see it as a narrow Polish success, others as inconclusive. The Poles withdrew to Warsaw, but the Russians, after heavy losses, did not attack the city.

What does Olszynka Grochowska mean?

It means the alder wood of Grochów, the small wood at the centre of the Polish position east of Warsaw.

Who commanded the armies?

The Polish army was nominally led by Prince Michał Radziwiłł and directed by General Józef Chłopicki; the Russian army by Field Marshal Hans Karl von Diebitsch.

What happened after the battle?

The uprising continued until the Russians captured Warsaw in September 1831.

Sources and notes

Numbered notes in the text point to the works below.

  1. dzieje.pl (Muzeum Historii Polski / PAP), “182. rocznica bitwy o Olszynkę Grochowską” ↩ a b c d
  2. Encyclopaedia Britannica, “November Insurrection” ↩ a b c d
  3. Wiesław Majewski, Grochów 1831 (Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej (Historyczne Bitwy), 1982). ↩
  4. Wacław Tokarz, Wojna polsko-rosyjska 1830 i 1831 (Wojskowy Instytut Naukowo-Wydawniczy, 1930). ↩
  5. Wikipedia, “Battle of Olszynka Grochowska”
  6. Wikipedia, “Bitwa o Olszynkę Grochowską”

Hold the alder wood at Grochów

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