The poviat boasts deep-rooted freedom fighting traditions.
During the Kościuszko insurrection recruitment offices of the uprising were operating in Radzymin and Marki. In April 1794 residents of Kobyłka, and first of all workers of the Filsjan production plant, drove out a squad of Cossacks stationing in the area. On October 26,1794 near Zielonka a huge battle was fought with the corps of the Russian army under the command of General Alexander Suvorov. Polish soldiers from the division of General Jan Meyen and General Stanisław Byszewski were defeated by the prevailing Russian forces after a fierce, fivehour battle. About 450 insurgents lost their lives, 44 officers and some 800 soldiers were captured as prisoners of war. Heroic activities of the insurgents shielded a retreat of the remaining troops of the corps of General Stanisław Mokronowski and made possible the defense of Praga.
During the Bolshevik war - in August 1920 - the area of our poviat was a site of the huge battle of Warsaw. The main n attack of the Bolsheviks on the capital was launched from here.
As early as July 1920, due to the change of the situation on the war front and the predicted withdrawal of the Polish army towards Warsaw, the Poviat Committee of
War Emergency associating 150 members was founded on the initiative of the starost of Radzymin, Władysław Korsak. He organized catering points for soldiers and refugees in Radzymin, Wołomin and Tłuszcz. Numerous recruitment offices for the army were opened as well. Polish defense lines were established in Warsaw suburbs. The attack on Warsaw was started by the Bolsheviks in the evening of August 13th. They broke defenses in the area of Kraszew and Wiktorów and captured Radzymin in the evening. For the next two days the town was a place of bloody fights. It changed hands four times. On August 14* bitter fights were fought in the area of Ossów, where the Rev. Major Ignacy Skorupka, the heroic chaplain of the Academic Legion was killed, as well as in the area of Wólka Radzymińska, which took the life of Capitan Stefan Pogonowski. The break in the second line of the Polish defense in the area of Wólka Radzymińska was the most tragic moment of the battle. The Bolshevik army came as close as 15 kilometers from Warsaw. Finally the takeover of Radzymin in the evening of August 15"' and the counterattack from the Wieprz River decided about the Polish victory.
