The Role of Women in World War I

Introduction

Women played vital roles in World War I and supported their respective governments in fighting the war. The women served in the military and on the Homefront. They also took part in an antiwar activist movement and participated in the Russian Revolution. The roles of women in World War I received recognition to a significant extent. Prior to World War One, feminists were not for the war and promoted peace and women's solidarity. However, a few months after the war began, almost all the feminist groups pledged to support their respective governments. The groups of women became true patriots and planned the ways in which they would help support the war efforts. This was true for the majority of the countries in war but initiated in the United States and Europe.

There were around 25,000 women from the US who helped in the war efforts, in Europe. These women were mainly involved in helping the wounded soldiers, providing food and other necessary supplies to the military, entertaining troops, working as journalists and serving as telephone operators. The women who served as telephone operators were commonly known as the 'Hello Girls'. The women received respect from all soldiers and were not victim to sexual assault or abuse of any sort. The men respected and protected the women to such an extent that one woman helping hundreds of male troops felt at ease. Even if, one officer was to touch the woman, the other men would beat the officer to death. This was the level of respect for women that prevailed in times of the First World War. The women were seen as respectful and virtuous beings, which the men looked at with reverent adoration.

Discussion

Many women organized themselves to obtain supplies and make their own tools for work. Those that went to the canteen for the US Army regarded as ones that will straighten out the boys. They were as powerful and influential as men in the war. The war efforts tried as much as possible to keep the women in the background, but eventually had to give up to the voices of the women (Saltonstall, 2004). When women heard about the atrocities of war and saw the massive bloodshed, they were not able to hold back their need for vengeance. The women with vengeance became a part of the troops that went out to the front lines to fight against the enemies. The women troops were made responsible for mending airplanes, flying them from one base to another, handling antiaircraft guns and operating the communications network (DiCaprio and Weisner, pp. 396).

Women enlisted themselves in the United States Navy, where they carried out clerical work most of the time. There were around 13,000 women in the US Navy at the time. The women received full military rank and status, becoming the first women to be bestowed with such equality to men (Ebbert and Hall, pp. 50).

Since men were needed in vast numbers for fighting the war, the ...