The First Women's Battalion of Death

[raunchel]

The First Women's Battalion of Death was a unit formed in the first world war by the provisional government that doesn't really get a lot of attention despite the fascinating history. I hope that people find this interesting: weaponsandwarfare.com/2019/04/24/the-first-womens-battalion-of-death/

[stevep]

Apr 24, 2019 9:06:19 GMT raunchel said:

The First Women's Battalion of Death was a unit formed in the first world war by the provisional government that doesn't really get a lot of attention despite the fascinating history. I hope that people find this interesting: weaponsandwarfare.com/2019/04/24/the-first-womens-battalion-of-death/

  Interesting thanks.  I knew a little bit about the formation of such units during the Provisional period but didn't know about the rather odd name for the 1st unit.  Sounds like it had some success initially but do you have any info about why so many male units seemed to have turned against them?  Guessing that it was the desire for peace and they feared that such units would prolong the war?  Or could be they felt embarrassed by the women's performance?

[raunchel]

Apr 24, 2019 15:21:09 GMT stevep said:

Apr 24, 2019 9:06:19 GMT raunchel said:

The First Women's Battalion of Death was a unit formed in the first world war by the provisional government that doesn't really get a lot of attention despite the fascinating history. I hope that people find this interesting: weaponsandwarfare.com/2019/04/24/the-first-womens-battalion-of-death/

  Interesting thanks.  I knew a little bit about the formation of such units during the Provisional period but didn't know about the rather odd name for the 1st unit.  Sounds like it had some success initially but do you have any info about why so many male units seemed to have turned against them?  Guessing that it was the desire for peace and they feared that such units would prolong the war?  Or could be they felt embarrassed by the women's performance?

Unfortunately, I don't really have much material on them, but I presume that it is because the mail units would feel attacked in their masculinity. Just like you see whenever women show even the slightest hint of success in a field that men see as being theirs.

[stevep]

Apr 24, 2019 16:14:53 GMT raunchel said:

Apr 24, 2019 15:21:09 GMT stevep said:

  Interesting thanks.  I knew a little bit about the formation of such units during the Provisional period but didn't know about the rather odd name for the 1st unit.  Sounds like it had some success initially but do you have any info about why so many male units seemed to have turned against them?  Guessing that it was the desire for peace and they feared that such units would prolong the war?  Or could be they felt embarrassed by the women's performance?

Unfortunately, I don't really have much material on them, but I presume that it is because the mail units would feel attacked in their masculinity. Just like you see whenever women show even the slightest hint of success in a field that men see as being theirs.

  Tu tu, such stereotyping.

[lordroel]

Seems that the Great War on YouTube made a piece about them.

[stevep]

Apr 24, 2019 17:31:23 GMT lordroel said:

Seems that the Great War on YouTube made a piece about them.

  Lordroel

  Thanks for that link.  Gave some additional information and background and answered one question it terms of the 'Death Battalion' designation.  Seems like this was given to several units in the Russian army at this point as the government tried to respond to growing war weariness and desertions by raising new units of volunteers and so used that designation.  Just happened that in this case it was a women's unit.

  Sounds like she was a hell of a determined women and definitely deserved better that being murdered by the Soviets.

 

  Steve

[James G]

Apr 24, 2019 16:14:53 GMT raunchel said:

Apr 24, 2019 15:21:09 GMT stevep said:

  Interesting thanks.  I knew a little bit about the formation of such units during the Provisional period but didn't know about the rather odd name for the 1st unit.  Sounds like it had some success initially but do you have any info about why so many male units seemed to have turned against them?  Guessing that it was the desire for peace and they feared that such units would prolong the war?  Or could be they felt embarrassed by the women's performance?

Unfortunately, I don't really have much material on them, but I presume that it is because the mail units would feel attacked in their masculinity. Just like you see whenever women show even the slightest hint of success in a field that men see as being theirs.

Sort of related to this...
Women football in Britain took off during WW1. It became rather successful. However, massive crowds drew jealousy after the war especially since their numbers rivalled the attendance's for men's games.
The Football Association - the governing body - thus decided to ban women's games from sanctioned grounds. This effectively killed off the women's game for decades.
It was jealousy of success which did this.

[stevep]

Apr 25, 2019 18:42:00 GMT James G said:

Apr 24, 2019 16:14:53 GMT raunchel said:

Unfortunately, I don't really have much material on them, but I presume that it is because the mail units would feel attacked in their masculinity. Just like you see whenever women show even the slightest hint of success in a field that men see as being theirs.

Sort of related to this...
Women football in Britain took off during WW1. It became rather successful. However, massive crowds drew jealousy after the war especially since their numbers rivalled the attendance's for men's games.
The Football Association - the governing body - thus decided to ban women's games from sanctioned grounds. This effectively killed off the women's game for decades.
It was jealousy of success which did this.

  Very true.  That was the thing that crippled the women's game for several generations.   Even after it was allowed again it took a lot of time to get big again and only the last decade or so that even the top players in England and a few other countries have been able to become full time professional.

[lordroel]

Found this YouTube clip called Russian Women's Battalion (1914-1918).