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Historical Women in Combat

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  • Historical Women in Combat

    Sword-swinging superbabes are all the rage in Hollywood these days -- it has become the definition of "strong" woman in films -- but does anyone know of any real-world example of any female warriors succeeding in front-line, non-mechanized combat prior to the 21st century?

    I'm not talking about figureheads in armor like Boudicca and Joan of Arc, or about fantasy characters like the modern interpretation of Viking Valkyries or Tolkien's Rohan shield maidens; I mean real, actual examples of women who were out there swinging sword spear in front-line combat. Anybody know of one?

  • #2
    You're kidding me, right?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet...n_World_War_II
    Chimo

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    • #3
      I beg to differ on Boudicca.

      I know Joan of Arc was probably a figurehead, given that it WAS the Middle Ages, after all; I'm sure she was more useful to the "powers that be" as an inspiration for the troops, rather than as an actual tactician. But the reports I've heard concerning Boudicca (via Tacitus and Cassius Dio) depict her as an actual warrior-queen who participated in battle.

      Click image for larger version

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      "There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly, you're not there any more." -Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge

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      • #4
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...rs_in_folklore
        Chimo

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        • #5
          http://atlantablackstar.com/2013/10/...ghout-history/

          The Dahomey are the real world version of the Amazons. Female warriors tend to get airbrushed out of western history, but about 1 in 30 sailors aboard RN ships during the Napoleonic wars were women. If you doubt the females get airbrushed claims, count the number of female resistance fighters in WWII, then extrapolate backwards and wonder why they aren't mentioned in other earlier conflicts.
          In the realm of spirit, seek clarity; in the material world, seek utility.

          Leibniz

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          • #6
            So, so far, we have:
            1. Russian snipers in WWII
            2. A picture from a modern fantasy movie
            3. A page from an ethnically biased political web site

            Nope, I'm not kidding at all. I don't see anything yet about any real-world example of any female warriors succeeding in front-line, non-mechanized combat. Rather quite the opposite.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Sanjac View Post
              So, so far, we have:
              1. Russian snipers in WWII
              2. A picture from a modern fantasy movie
              3. A page from an ethnically biased political web site

              Nope, I'm not kidding at all. I don't see anything yet about any real-world example of any female warriors succeeding in front-line, non-mechanized combat. Rather quite the opposite.
              I'm sorry. What? Did you know it's tougher to qualify as a sniper than it is to be an Army Ranger?

              How about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manshuk_Mametova?
              Or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariya_Oktyabrskaya or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandra_Samusenko

              Or guerrilla warfare specialists, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoya_Kosmodemyanskaya, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinaida_Portnova,
              Chimo

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              • #8
                IIRC many women played an integral part in the Resistance movements in Nazi-occupied Europe during the Second World War. This lady was among the Gestapo's most wanted for most of the war.

                Also the Israelis have had female combatants since the days of Haganah back in 1948.
                "Draft beer, not people."

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                • #9
                  You want to see how tough a woman is? Threaten her baby.
                  Chimo

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                  • #10
                    There were alot female warriors, unions till 1500s in nomad tribes. one of them was Bacıyan-ı Rum Order during 1300s.

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