Józef Dwernicki (19 March 1779 in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

– 23 November 1857 in

Lopatyn Lopatyn (, ) is a rural settlement in Sheptytskyi Raion of Lviv Oblast in Ukraine. It is located on the left bank of the Ostrivka, a left tributary of the Styr in the drainage basin of the Dnieper. Lopatyn hosts the administration of Lopatyn se ...

near

Lwów Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

) was a General of Cavalry in the

Polish Army The Land Forces () are the Army, land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 110,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military histor ...

, and a participant in the

November Uprising The November Uprising (1830–31) (), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in Russian Partition, the heartland of Partitions of Poland, partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. ...

(1830–1831).

Biography

Dwernicki was born in a

noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Gr ...

family of

Sas coat of arms Sas or Szász (origin: Slavic languages, Slavic for 'Saxon', Polish language, Polish: ''Sas'', Hungarian language, Hungarian: ''Szász'', Romanian language, Romanian: ''Saș'', Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: ''Сас'') is a Heraldry#Central and ...

, which owned villages in

Podolia Podolia or Podillia is a historic region in Eastern Europe located in the west-central and southwestern parts of Ukraine and northeastern Moldova (i.e. northern Transnistria). Podolia is bordered by the Dniester River and Boh River. It features ...

. His parents were Polish patriots, and at the age of 12, young Józef entered a military school, where he remained until 1795. He then returned to the family property at Zawale in Podolia, where he took care of the farm. In 1806, when during the

War of the Fourth Coalition The War of the Fourth Coalition () was a war spanning 1806–1807 that saw a multinational coalition fight against Napoleon's First French Empire, French Empire, subsequently being defeated. The main coalition partners were Kingdom of Prussia, ...

, French armies approached the

Vistula The Vistula (; ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest in Europe, at in length. Its drainage basin, extending into three other countries apart from Poland, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra i ...

river, Dwernicki, together with his friend

Augustyn Trzecieski Augustyn is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name Surname *Błażej Augustyn (born 1988), Polish footballer *Brian Augustyn (1954–2022), American comic book editor and writer *Frank Augustyn (born 1953), Canadian ballet d ...

, decided to find the so-called Patriotic Society, which planned an anti-Russian uprising. The insurrection failed, due to the

Treaties of Tilsit The Treaties of Tilsit (), also collectively known as the Peace of Tilsit (; ), were two peace treaties signed by French Emperor Napoleon in the town of Tilsit in July 1807 in the aftermath of his victory at Friedland, at the end of the War o ...

, signed in July 1807. In 1809, Dwernicki armed 80 men, crossed the

Zbruch The Zbruch (; ) is a river in Western Ukraine, a left tributary of the Dniester.Збруч

Piotr Strzyżewski (27 May 1809, near

Tarnopol Ternopil, known until 1944 mostly as Tarnopol, is a city in western Ukraine, located on the banks of the Seret (river), Seret River. Ternopil is one of the major cities of Western Ukraine and the historical regions of Galicia (Central Europe ...

). He fought in the

Polish–Austrian War The Austro-Polish War or Polish-Austrian War was a part of the War of the Fifth Coalition in 1809 (a coalition of the Austrian Empire and the United Kingdom against Napoleon's French Empire and allied states). In this war, Polish forces of ...

: his bravery and efforts resulted in promotion to the rank of captain. In 1810, Duke

Józef Poniatowski Prince Józef Antoni Poniatowski (; 7 May 1763 – 19 October 1813) was a Polish general, minister of war and army chief, who became a Marshal of the French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. A nephew of the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lit ...

awarded him the

Virtuti Militari The War Order of Virtuti Militari (Latin: ''"For Military Virtue"'', ) is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war. It was established in 1792 by the last King of Poland Stanislaus II of Poland, ...

, and nominated him commander of a squadron in the 15th

Uhlan Uhlan (; ; ; ; ) is a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. The uhlans started as Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army, Lithuanian irregular cavalry, that were later also adopted by other countries during the 18th century, including Polis ...

Regiment, formed in Podolia. Dwernicki, together with his uhlans, fought in the

French invasion of Russia The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign (), the Second Polish War, and in Russia as the Patriotic War of 1812 (), was initiated by Napoleon with the aim of compelling the Russian Empire to comply with the Continenta ...

of 1812. In January 1813, he was promoted to the rank of major, and in March, he once again was awarded the Virtuti Militari. Soon afterwards, he received French

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

. In the summer of 1813, after the disastrous invasion of Russia, Dwernicki became commandant of the 8th Uhlan Regiment, with which he fought in France and Germany. After the Battle of Wartenberg (3 October 1813),

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

personally awarded him Golden Cross of the Legion of Honour. Dwernicki also distinguished himself in the

Battle of Leipzig The Battle of Leipzig, also known as the Battle of the Nations, was fought from 16 to 19 October 1813 at Leipzig, Saxony. The Coalition armies of Austria, Prussia, Sweden, and Russia, led by Tsar Alexander I, Karl von Schwarzenberg, and G ...

. On 4 January 1814 he was promoted to the rank of Colonel, and became commandant of the Krakus Regiment, with which he fought in the suburbs of

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

After the Napoleonic Wars

Following the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

, Dwernicki returned to

Congress Poland Congress Poland or Congress Kingdom of Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. It was established w ...

, joining the

Freemasons Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

in 1816. He was named commandant of the 2nd Uhlan Regiment, which was stationed in

Podlasie Podlachia, also known by its Polish name Podlasie (; ; ), is a historical region in north-eastern Poland. Its largest city is Białystok, whereas the historical capital is Drohiczyn. Similarly to several other historical regions of Poland, e.g ...

. His military skills were greatly appreciated by Russian Governor of Poland, Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich, who awarded him several orders. In 1826, Dwernicki was transferred to Warsaw, and in 1829, was named Brigadier general. Soon afterwards, he wrote a book on rules and regulations of Russian cavalry. In the autumn of 1830, when the

began, Dwernicki was stationed in

Sieradz Sieradz (,) is a city on the Warta river in central Poland with 40,891 inhabitants (2021). It is the seat of the Sieradz County, situated in the Łódź Voivodeship. Sieradz is a capital of the historical Sieradz Land. Sieradz is one of the olde ...

, where he commanded 3rd Regiment of Mounted Rifles. He was immediately ordered to return to Warsaw, where he was tasked with creating new units of the Polish Army. By January 1831, Dwernicki created 18 squadrons, ready to enter combat. In late January 1831, the Polish National Government decided to send an army corps to

Volhynia Volhynia or Volynia ( ; see #Names and etymology, below) is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between southeastern Poland, southwestern Belarus, and northwestern Ukraine. The borders of the region are not clearly defined, but in ...

and

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

. Dwernicki was named commandant of this unit, but in February 1831, when Russian Army entered Congress Poland, Commander in Chief Michal Gedeon Radziwill ordered him to stop the advance of General Teodor Geismar. On 14 February 1831 the Russians were defeated in the

Battle of Stoczek The Battle of Stoczek was the first significant engagement between Russian and Polish forces during the Polish November Uprising. It took place on 14 February 1831 near the town of Stoczek Łukowski, near the Brest–Warsaw road. The Polish forc ...

, and Dwernicki was afterwards promoted to

Divisional general Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French Revolutionary System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps ...

. Following the battle, Dwernicki and his unit marched to

Góra Kalwaria Góra Kalwaria (; "Calvary Mountain", , ''Ger'') is a town on the Vistula River in the Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It is situated approximately southeast of Warsaw and has a population of around 12,109 (as of 2019). The town has ...

, and then engaged the Russians in several places, such as

Warka Warka () is a town in east-central Poland, located on the left bank of the Pilica river ( south of Warsaw), with 11,858 inhabitants (2013). It has been situated in Grójec County, in the Masovian Voivodeship, since 1999; previously it was in t ...

Kozienice Kozienice (; ''Kozhnits'') is a town in eastern Poland with 21,500 inhabitants (1995). Located four miles from the Vistula, it is the capital of Kozienice County. Even though Kozienice is part of Lesser Poland, it is situated in the Masovian Voi ...

Puławy Puławy (, also written Pulawy) is a city in eastern Poland, in Lesser Poland's Lublin Voivodeship, at the confluence of the Vistula and Kurówka River, Kurówka Rivers. Puławy is the capital of Puławy County. The city's 2019 population was Cen ...

Lublin Lublin is List of cities and towns in Poland, the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the centre of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin i ...

and

Zamość Zamość (; ; ) is a historical city in southeastern Poland. It is situated in the southern part of Lublin Voivodeship, about from Lublin, from Warsaw. In 2021, the population of Zamość was 62,021. Zamość was founded in 1580 by Jan Zamoyski ...

. In early April 1831, Dwernicki crossed the

Bug river The Bug or Western Bug is a major river in Central Europe that flows through Belarus (border), Poland, and Ukraine, with a total length of .Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

. His corps consisted of some 7,000 soldiers, but their situation quickly deteriorated. There were few volunteers, and local population did not respond to Dwernicki’s announcement to the residents of Volhynia, Podolia and Ukraine. On 11 April 1831 Dwernicki clashed with Russians near

Poryck Pavlivka (, formerly Poryck, ) is a town now located in northwestern Ukraine, in Volodymyr Raion of Volyn Oblast, near Volodymyr, on the Luha river. For centuries, Poryck was property of several noble Polish families. The town is the birthplace of ...

; four days later he fought the Russians again near

Beresteczko Berestechko (, ) is a town in Lutsk Raion, Volyn Oblast, Ukraine. It is located on the Styr River. Population: History Berestechko received Magdeburg rights in 1547. Around the same era, Socinian communities were active in the town. In 1651 ...

. Disappointed by lack of support of local residents, he then marched to Podolia, but once again, he failed to rouse the population. Facing encirclement, on 27 April 1831 Dwernicki and his unit crossed the Russian - Austrian border near

Radziwiłłów Radziwiłłów is a Polish toponym referring to the Radziwiłł noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wie ...

Temporary exile

The General was for some time interned by Austrian authorities, and in November 1831, he left for

, joining the

Great Emigration The Great Emigration () was the emigration of thousands of Poles and Lithuanians, particularly from the political and cultural élites, from 1831 to 1870, after the failure of the November Uprising of 1830–1831 and of other uprisings such as ...

. He immediately became involved in patriotic activities. Dwernicki was a founder and member of several organizations, and was a very popular activist, whose house was visited by such people, as

Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...

and

Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette (; 6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (), was a French military officer and politician who volunteered to join the Conti ...

. In 1834, he married his second wife, Maria Ludwika Alina de Brok (his first wife, Julianna, died after falling ill during the Volhynian raid of Dwernicki’s corps). Soon afterwards, they moved to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. In 1848, Austrian government allowed Dwernicki to visit Galicia. His arrival at

turned into a mass patriotic demonstration, and Dwernicki decided to stay in this city. He became a friend of Count Adam Zamoyski, who supported him financially, and invited Dwernicki to visit his real estate in

near

Brody Brody (, ; ; ; ) is a city in Zolochiv Raion, Lviv Oblast, Zolochiv Raion, Lviv Oblast, western Ukraine. It is located in the valley of the upper Styr, Styr River, approximately northeast of the oblast capital, Lviv. Brody hosts the administrati ...

. The General died on 23 November 1857 in Lopatyn, and was buried there.

Sources

A webpage of the Dwernicki family

Biography of General Dwernicki at www.dzieje.pl
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dwernicki, Jozef 1779 births 1857 deaths Polish generals November Uprising participants Military personnel from Warsaw Polish military personnel of the Napoleonic Wars