Wwiipresentation 1

Russian & American Russian & American Women’s Roles in Women’s Roles in

WWIIWWIICreated by Angel Jacklyn, 12/2013

Representation in Representation in FairytalesFairytales

The Russian Woman “Warrior”

The American “Damsel in Distress”

“Folkloric heritage, combined with a general belief that Russian women were physically strong, made it thinkable for women en mass to engage in combat in the Second World War” (Harris)

•Field of slain warriors by warrior queenin magic tale Ma’ria Morevna•Polianitsy/Polinitzi- Women disguisedas male knights in medieval poemscalled byliny (i.e. Vasilisa Nikulichnaof Stavr Godinovich)•Armed women in novels/ films of 1920’s & 30’s-Novels like And Quiet Flows the Don 1928, In the East 1936, Bread 1937 & the Film Chapaev 1934

“Although rarely encouraged to fight prior to the 1930’s, there were historical precedents that made it easier for Soviet women to fight than for their sisters in other countries” (Harris 2008) – i.e. Served in, & prior to, the Crimean War (1853-56) & WWI

Before WWII, American women always helpless & waiting to be rescued by men in cultural representations (i.e. Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella)

1930’s Soviet Women

Life b

efo

re th

e W

ar

1930’s American Women: Life before the War

1930’s Women: Life before the 1930’s Women: Life before the WarWar

• Russian women lived in a totalitarian state where “getting married, staying out of trouble, and raising a family loomed as tickets not only for survival but also for the relative freedom associated with the privacy of the kitchen,” as best put by Wilma Rule and Norma Noonan.

• This was the beginning of Stalin’s 5 Year Plans, where women were mobilized into the workforce by Soviet state demand, dreams of rapid industrialization and a need to fulfill production quotas. The “ideology called on women to match men’s performance in the workplace,” while at the “same time excel as loving wives and mothers who find fulfillment in organizing cozy homes for their husbands and children” (Rule 1996).

• Low wages meant that most wives had to work in order for their families to survive.

• Agriculture was the bulk of the female labor force, with 20 million by 1939 while the next largest industry, the service sector accounted for 6 million female workers. 2,500,000 were employed in manufacturing, construction and mining.

• Beginning June 26, 1940, Soviet law stipulated any absence or change of employment without consent of the proper authorities constituted punishment, as by the Criminal Code. This was enforced until 1956.

• American women were generally restricted to domestic home duties, with the exception of nurses and teachers.

• At this time, people simply did not want to employ women. Women were thought of as less competent & able to do the job as men.

• It wasn’t until factories were forced to hire women in absence of men that they figured out that they handled explosives more carefully, worked harder and produced in less time!

• Before this though, they remained cooking, cleaning, rearing the children and looking through fashion magazines while waiting for their husbands to come home from work.

• It was the era of white picket fences.

The Russians vs The Americans

Ru

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Wom

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ortra

yed a

s m

oth

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/ sisterly

OR

in

the h

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s of th

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American PropagandaWomen toldthe more you lend a hand,the quicker your fathers, husbands & sons will beable to return!

http://http://www.youtube.www.youtube.com/watch?vcom/watch?v=QGp93ijzok4=QGp93ijzok4

Amount of Women in the ForcesAmount of Women in the Forces

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

TotalRecruits

Drafted Volunteers

Russian

American

Figures are as according to figures from Stalin, the Russians, andTheir War: 1941-1945 (2004, Print), which goes on to add, had the war lasted a month or two longer American women would have most likely

been drafted for nurses.

Soviet Women in WWII:

Militarized Combat Fighters

American Women in WWII:

•Considered emergency “Volunteers”• Restricted to NON-Combat Positions

Women in the Armed Forces:Women in the Armed Forces:What were their options?What were their options?

• Spie, or the Resistance• WAC- Women’s Army Auxiliary

Corps• WAVES- Navy Women’s Reserve• Marine Corps Women’s Reserve• SPARS- Coast Guard Women’s

Reserve• WASP- Women’s Airforce Service

Pilot• Cadet Nurse Corps• Army Nurse Corps• Navy Nurse Corps

“General Eisenhower felt that he could not win the war without the aid of women in uniform” even if it was, for the most part, clerical, cleaning or manufacturing positions they relieved men of (WWII Museum).

• Spie, or the Resistance• 586th Fighter Regiment• 125th Guards Bomber Regiment• 46th Taman Guards Bomber

Regiment aka the “Night Witches”

• Snipers• Tankers• Field Medic• Mechanic

Unlike in the USA, up until 1943 the people of Russia “were blind to one another’s nationality. Friendships between people in the army were really genuine.” After that date, nationalism became instigated from above and “soldiers that hailed from ‘exiled’ peoples [were] now dismissed from the army” (Broekmeyer 2004). Quarrels ensued over who belonged to the ‘bad nations’ and ‘good nations’ of the Soviet state, and language barriers added to that tension.

Am

erica

ns R

ussia

ns

Only 6,500 African American women served in the US military.

Women RecruitmentWomen Recruitmentof WWIIof WWII

• Russia is more flexible, and females are drafted as early as 16.

• The US is more rigorous, restricting females more so than men.

US

Elig

ibili

ty

Req

uir

emen

ts

•Age generally 21 to 44 years•US Citizenship•Excellent character, plus witnesses needed•Armed forces often required no dependents (i.e. children under 14 years old)•In armed forces, 2 years high school•In nurse corps, graduation from high school•Eye sight correctable with glasses to 20/20 vision•Hearing- “Ability to distinguish whispered words at 15 feet” (Blitzkrieg Baby)•Height and weight varied•“Teeth in sound condition or satisfactory replacements,” specifically for WAVES enlistees (Blitzkrieg Baby)•Marriage status

The Russian “Night Witches”The Russian “Night Witches”• One of their attack techniques

garnished them the “Night Witch” nickname by the Germans

• 1 of 3 woman-based groups mobilized by military in early 1942

• Only group that remained entirely female throughout duration of war

• “At its largest size, it had 40 two-person crews” (Night witches)

• Mission was to disallow Germans peace at night

– Destroy tactical targets close to front lines (i.e. fuel deposits, ammunition dumps, group troops, support vehicles, bridges, enemy headquarters)

• Flew 23,000+ sorties and dropped 3,000+ tons of bombs

Our American WASPsOur American WASPs• Coined first women to fly American

military aircraft• Originally two groups of women pilots

before merging into one, the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots

1. WFTD- Women’s Flying Training Detachment2. WAFS- Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron

• 25,000 women applied, 1,830 took oath & were excepted yet only 1,074 passed training

• 2 Chinese-American and 1 Native American women were accepted; the rest were white as no blacks were allowed to join

• “Stationed at 120 air bases across the US, assuming numerous flight-related missions, and relieving male pilots for combat duty” (Women Airforce)

• Flew aircraft from factories to ports and military training bases. “They also towed targets for live anti-aircraft artillery practice, stimulated strafing missions, and transported cargo” (Women Airforce)

• Between Sept 1942 and Dec 1944, delivered 78 types of a totaled 12,650 aircrafts to needed destinations.

The Russian Nurse

went into battle.

American Nursesmay have

occasionally went

overseas to help, but generally

stayed close to home!

Challenges of Women in WarChallenges of Women in War• Women faced sexual harrasment on a daily basis, but it was worse off for the Russian

women. Although both countries had integrated groups of males and females, only Soviet women had to squeeze in little barricades with the opposite sex for long hours during combat.

– This led to Soviet women being alienated and regarded with suspicion by civilians- particularly wives, when they returned home from the war. “What did our husbands do with them? And what did they do with our husbands?” was the attitude (Broekmeyer 2004). In Russia, jealousy was made worse by an excess of women.

Women tended to be underminded by men, and had to prove their worth to the men.

In Russia, women had to piss in their trousers when in battle unlike their male counterparts. However, this was not necessarily limited to women in their country as training conditions could be equally deployable in the USA.

In both countries, women were not always able to bathe. Even if there were rivers nearby, it was impossible to access them privately with the amount of men around.

In America, women rarely witnessed the rape and torture of their own people and the enemy as Russian women did on a daily basis… uniform not required.

American Women on the Home Front

Rosie the Riveter:Rosie the Riveter:How it How it ReallyReally Was Was

“Sheridan Harvey explores the evolution of "Rosie the Riveter" and discusses the lives of real women workers in World War II.

Sheridan Harvey is Women's Studies Specialist in the Humanities and Social Sciences Division and senior editor of ‘American Women,’ a resource guide for the study of women's history and culture in the United States,” as directly quoted off of Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v

=04VNBM1PqR8

Russian Women on the Home Front

Entertainment Entertainment andand War War• In Russia, strictly

the government communicates to

women, as everything is

regulated by the Soviet Union.

• In the USA, the government AND women

communicate to women (as free speech here exists).

American film actress Veronica Lake illustrates what can happen to women if they wear their hair long in the factory.

DemobilizationDemobilization• The gender of

imbalance of 1945 was 1.8 women for every man. By 1950, it fell to 1.5.

• Beginning Sept. of 1946, 7 million people were demobilized. All women were sent home and expected to devote themselves unselfishly to raising a family (a role that was supposed to “fulfill” her) and work, as before, to rebuild the countries industrialization.

• To promote population growth, Stalin awarded women who birthed 7 or more children metals and financial help. Of these were the “Order of Maternal Glory” and the “Mother Heroine.”

Russia

•At end of war, the WAC and WAVES were the only groups officially integrated into the Army. Still, most of these women were demobilized and sent home; a very small percentage remained.•Women forced to give up their newly gained industrial jobs to the men as they returned home from the forces. In contrast to Russia, women were expected to resume only household duties.T

he U

SA

What WWII meant What WWII meant for Womenfor Women

For the Russians, they “did not witness For the Russians, they “did not witness an expansion in women’s political an expansion in women’s political authority.” In contrast to American authority.” In contrast to American women’s new gains, “instead, the women’s new gains, “instead, the

Stalinist legacy established patterns of Stalinist legacy established patterns of women’s political participation that women’s political participation that persisted for decades” (Rule 1996).persisted for decades” (Rule 1996).

Remembering Women of WWIIRemembering Women of WWII

http://www.screencast.com/t/HRsU1cF0R