Role of Women in the Military Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Role of Women in the Military - Essay Example During the First World War, many women served in the military as nurses and also offered other assigned support roles to the armies of various nations. However, the only nation that was acknowledged for using a large number of female fighter troops was Russia (Stone 155). One of the most famous martial camps was Cossack regiment, front-line light cavalry under the leadership of a woman. Maria Bochkareva, another famous and astounding female figure in the military, worked her way out to one of the most crucial military ranks as a senior NCO. Bochkareva was given the mandate to command the first unit in 1917 following the establishment of â€Å"Women’s Battalions† by the interim government (Stone 154-58). The women were expected to propagate war propaganda, which they never did well leading to their disbandment. Nonetheless, the women fought their war well, albeit propaganda delivery failed. Bochkareva would later recruit women infantry in Russian Civil War. The role play ed by women in both civil war and World War I still remains conspicuous and cannot be ignored. The Second World War occurred on global unprecedented scale, which created the necessity to mobilize the entire society to join war. This increased the chances of women participation in the military and they became important and indispensable part of national armies. During World War II, some women took to nursing roles while many others were engaged in clerical and support roles. In 1938, Britain created military roles for women besides a small group of women who had been serving in the British military as nurses. By 1941, many British women were enrolled in the army affiliate, Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) and later approved military status (Martel 253). Martel argues that â€Å"The National Service Act of December 1941 drafted 125,000 women into the military over the next three years while 430,000 more