Battle of Białołęka The Battle of Białołęka was fought from February 24 to February 25 , 1831 , in the village of Białołęka , Poland , during the November Uprising . Though the Polish forces were victorious over the Russia ns , the outcome was not decisive , and was inconclusive in the scope of the larger Russo - Polish War . Historical context . On November 29 , 1830 , a group of young , non - commissioned officers in the Imperial Russian Army ' s military academy in Warsaw revolted against the rule of the Russian Empire in Poland and Lithuania . The following day , armed Polish civilians forced the Russian troops to withdraw north from Warsaw . The Russo - Polish War officially began in early February 1831 , a 115 , 000 - strong Russian army crossed Polish borders , led by Field Marshal Hans Karl von Diebitsch . The first major battle took place on February 14 , 1831 near the village of Stoczek near Łuków , where Polish cavalry under the command of Brigadier Józef Dwernicki defeated the Russian division of Teodor Geismar . The victory had psychological rather than militaristic significance , as it did little to slow the Russian advance towards Warsaw . Subsequent inconclusive victories at Dobre on February 17 and Wawer on February 19 and 20 bolstered Polish spirits , but were inconclusive . Białołęka was a small town located North of Warsaw . The road to the capital passed through Białołęka , continued south through the villages of Bródno and Praga , and then crossed the Vistula into Warsaw . Combatants . The Russian forces , under the command of Ivan Shakhovskiy , included 11 , 000 men and 56 cannons . Their orders were to march through Białołęka and to continue to Brodno . Polish forces under the command of Jan Krukowiecki , Antoni Giełgud and Kazimierz Małachowski were in fortified positions to protect the entrance to the capital city . Their combined forces included 13 , 000 men and 22 cannons . These forces included 2 , 700 cavalry and 1 , 200 infantry under the command of Antoni Jankowski . Battle . The Battle of Białołęka lasted two days . After the first day , the Polish had lost 450 men , while the Russians had suffered 650 losses . During the second day , Polish forces suffered 320 losses , while the Russians suffered 430 . In total , 670 Polish soldiers were killed or wounded , compared to 1 , 070 Russians . Fighting commenced on February 24 at approximately 09 : 00 AM . Russian troops attacked the combined forces of General Kazimierz Małachowski ( 4 , 200 infantry , 6 cannons ) and Antoni Jankowski ( 2 , 700 cavalry , 1 , 200 infantry ) , who had taken positions within the town and surrounding woods . Russian forces attacked the Hussar s who were entrenched in the forest , and suffered heavy losses . After many hours of fierce fighting , the Polish forces were pushed back from their position and into the countryside . The Polish high command sent Antoni Giełgud to reinforce Małachowski and Jankowski , and ordered Jan Krukowiecki to take charge of the Polish forces at Białołęka . The reinforcements arrived at the battlefield just before sunset , and skirmish ing continued through the night . Suspecting that Krukowiecki ' s forces were vastly outnumbered , Polish military authorities ordered their forces to hold their positions , and to only retaliate in the event that the Russians attempted to press on towards Warsaw . Ironically , Shakhovskiy received similar orders from Field Marshal von Diebitsch : if attacked by Polish forces , he was to withdraw immediately . Shakhovskiy withdrew to the town of Marki directly to the east , and was pursued by Krukowiecki , whose flanking maneuver threw the Russian forces into disorder . The Polish forces were able to take back Białołęka , but the disorganization of the Russian forces made it impossible to strike a decisive blow . Aftermath . By February 24 , the Russian Army had reached the outskirts of Warsaw in two columns : one from the North under the command of General Shakhovskiy , and one from the East under the command of General Grigoriy Vladimirovich Rosen . Field Marshal von Diebitsch initially planned a full frontal assault on Warsaw to take place on February 26 . The successful Polish counter - attack at Białołęka , however , prompted von Diebitsch to change his plans and attack earlier . On February 25 , General Rosen received orders to attack , resulting in the Battle of Olszynka Grochowska . His forces were joined later that day by the remnants of Shakhovskiy ' s defeated column .