Von der Gröben was born in Schrengen, East Prussia (today Linkowo, Poland) and joined the Prussian Army in 1806. He served under Anton Wilhelm von L'Estocq in the Napoleonic war of 1806/07. In 1812 Gröben left the Prussian Army after Prussia had to deploy subsidiary troops in Napoleon's Russian campaign and joined the Imperial Russian Army instead. He took part in the Battles of Lützen and Bautzen and returned to Prussian service, promoted to a Rittmeister in the Prussian General Staff in August 1813. Von der Gröben was wounded throughout the Battle of Dresden and fought in the Battle of Kulm and the Battle of Leipzig. In 1814 Gröben fought at Luxembourg and was again wounded at Gué-à-Trème. In July 1814 he was promoted to a Major and fought in the Battles of Ligny and Waterloo in 1815. He became a lieutenant colonel and served in the Prussian High Command of the Rhine at Koblenz.Biography at Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie
