FReeper Canteen ~ Part X of Women Warriors: Women Revolutionaries ~ March 23, 2004

GenderGap.com ^ | March 23, 2004 | LaDivaLoca

[LaDivaLoca]

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Part X: Women Revolutionaries

In 1670 Alyona, a former nun, led a troop of rebels who took the Russian town of Temnikov. She was eventually captured by government soldiers and burned at the stake.

In Mexico both Zapata's and Pancho Villa's peasant armies included women revolutionaries called "soldaderas" who originated in the ranks of the camp followers who provided water, food, clothing and medical care for the troops. The soldaderas organized their own units, armed themselves with pistols and rifles and engaged in battle alongside the men. Adelita, heroine of the revolutionary song, fought with Zapata's forces. During the Mexican War of Independence in 1810 Gertrudis Bocanegra raised an army of women and led them in battle. She died in 1817 after being arrested and tortured. (Click on picture for link to additional information)

The two pictures above show very different views of soldaderas. The first artist on the top, Jose Guadalupe Posada, shows the soldadera as a menacing figure, a soldier who is ready to fight; the only thing distinguishing her from a male soldier is her dress. The second artist, Angel Martin, portrays the soldadera as a sexual being, upholding the stereotype that the purpose of a soldadera was to seduce the male soldiers. (Arrizon 22-23)

The view portrayed in the last picture distorted the image of soldaderas because in reality, they were ordinary women that were extraordinary only in their will to fight for what they believed in. Most of them were mestizas or Indian women, including schoolteachers and wives of soldiers who had nowhere to go. They were both educated and uneducated, rich and poor. Many soldaderas went into battle with their children on their backs. Soldaderas showed just as much courage as their male counterparts during combat. They were also important because they had other skills that sustained the troops. They cooked, foraged for food, nursed wounded or sick soldiers, or performed other much-needed tasks. (Arrizon 1-23)

Baltazara Chuiza led a revolt against the Spanish in Ecuador in 1778 ... Micaela Bastidas fought alongside her husband, Tupac Amaru in the Peruvian rebellion of 1780, leading troops of both men and women in battle. (Micaela, picture on the right)

In 1780 Manuela Beltran organized a peasant uprising to protest excess taxation in Columbia and led her forces against government troops. She was the first person to publicly challenge the Spanish exploitation. When the Spanish crown increased taxes,  Manuela took from the tax collector's hand the edict and tore it - something previously unseen. She organized a peasant revolt in the main cities of the north east. The news and success of the revolt served as a catalyst for a revolution throughout the New Granada. But when the word reached the Viceroy, a head-hunt for Manuela was organized, resulting in her decapitation. She was the first seed of defiance against the colonizer and became a national martyr.

Lorenza Avemanay, a South American Indian, led a revolt against the Spanish in Ecuador in 1803.

Juana Azurduy was a guerilla leader in Bolivia in the early 1800s

In 1825 Ana Monterrosso de Lavelleja was the leader of the "Thirty-three Orientales", a guerrilla force which fought the Spanish in Uruguay.

Louisa Battistati, an Italian patriot, defended the town of Milan for 5 days and afterward the nearby town of Bettabia, during the Revolution of 1848.

Mariana Braceti, a Puerto Rican revolutionary in the 1860's, led troops of men and women in battle and was known as the "golden arm" because of her skill with a sword.

Candelaria Figuerdo was 16 when she joined the Cuban revolutionary forces in 1868 and is said to be the first woman to fight in the ranks in defense of Cuba.

Mahal Hazrat, the Begum of Oudhad, was an Indian Muslim queen who defended Lucknow against the British during the Indian Mutiny of 1857-1858. Sword in hand, Begum Hazrat Mahal led forces herself and directed army operations. (Click on picture for additional information)

Lakshmi Bai, the Rani of Jhansi, was another woman prominent in the Indian Mutiny. She was the regent for her infant son and the military advisor for the Jhansi army. When Jhansi was attacked by the British she called on all noblewomen to defy purdah and join her on the battlefield. She was killed in battle at the age of 22. (Click on picture for additional information)

Tarabai of Rajasthan led male and female troops into battle against the British during the Mutiny. She died on the battlefield after being stabbed in the back by a British soldier while trying to carry one of her wounded soldiers to safety ... There were a number of women in the Rajput Army included one all female cavalry troop.

Louise Clemence  Michel, a leader of the Paris Commune, prevented General Franco's Nationalist from taking over the city through repeated guerilla attacks on his forces. In 1871 the women of the commune banded together, armed themselves and joined the fighting as an all female brigade.

Next Tuesday, Conclusion of Women Warriors
American Women in Uniform

[The Mayor]

In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul. -Psalm 138:3

To conquer your fears, surrender them to the Lord.

[aomagrat]

Today's classic warship, HMS Renown

Renown class battlecruiser
Displacement: 26,500 t.
Lenght: 750'
Beam: 90'
Draft: 25'8"
Speed: 31.5 k.
Complement: 967
Armament: 6 15"; 17 4"; 2 3"; 4 3 pdr

HMS Renown, lead ship of a class of two 26,500-ton battlecruisers, was built at Glasgow, Scotland. Completed in September 1916, she served with the Grand Fleet in the North Sea during the remaining two years of World War I. In 1920-21, following a refit, she carried the Prince of Wales on a voyage to Australia and America. During 1923-26, she was extensively refitted to increase her protection against gunfire and torpedoes. After a decade of further service, Renown was again reconstructed, greatly changing her appearance and giving her a modern anti-aircraft gun battery, much enhanced aircraft-handling facilities and up-to-date gunfire controls. This work was completed in September 1939, just after the outbreak of the Second World War.

Renown's high speed made her a valuable asset during World War II. In late 1939, she was sent to the South Atlantic to search for the German armored ship Admiral Graf Spee. She covered minelaying operations along the Norwegian coast in early April 1940 and, on the 9th of that month, engaged the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, damaging the latter. Later in 1940 and into 1941, she operated with Force "H", based at Gibraltar to provide strategic presence in both the Atlantic and Mediterranean. While with Force "H", she participated in a bombardment of Genoa, Italy, in February 1941. After Home Fleet service in 1942-43, Renown was sent to join the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean. Operating from Ceylon in 1944-45, she helped contain the Japanese in the East Indies. HMS Renown had brief post-war service in British waters and was sold for scrapping in March 1948.

[StarCMC]

	*CHRISTENSEN, DALE ELDON Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Troop E, 112th Cavalry Regiment.  Place and date: Driniumor River, New Guinea, 16-19 July 1944.  Entered service at: Gray, lowa.  Birth: Cameron Township, lowa.  G.O. No.: 36, 10 May 1945.  Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty along the Driniumor River, New Guinea, from 16-19 July 1944.  2d Lt. Christensen repeatedly distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty in the continuous heavy fighting which occurred in this area from 16-19 July. On 16 July, his platoon engaged in a savage fire fight in which much damage was caused by 1 enemy machinegun effectively placed. 2d Lt. Christensen ordered his men to remain under cover, crept forward under fire, and at a range of 15 yards put the gun out of action with hand grenades. Again, on 19 July, while attacking an enemy position strong in mortars and machineguns, his platoon was pinned to the ground by intense fire. Ordering his men to remain under cover, he crept forward alone to locate definitely the enemy automatic weapons and the best direction from which to attack. Although his rifle was struck by enemy fire and knocked from his hands he continued his reconnaissance, located 5 enemy machineguns, destroyed 1 with hand grenades, and rejoined his platoon. He then led his men to the point selected for launching the attack and, calling encouragement, led the charge. This assault was successful and the enemy was driven from the positions with a loss of 4 mortars and 10 machineguns and leaving many dead on the field. On 4 August 1944, near Afua, Dutch New Guinea, 2d Lt. Christensen was killed in action about 2 yards from his objective while leading his platoon in an attack on an enemy machinegun position. 2d Lt. Christensen's leadership, intrepidity, and repeatedly demonstrated gallantry in action at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, exemplify the highest traditions of the U.S. Armed Forces. *CHRISTIAN, HERBERT F. Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, 15th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division.  Place and date: Near Valmontone, Italy, 2-3 June 1944.  Entered service at: Steubenville, Ohio.  Birth: Byersville, Ohio.  G.O. No.: 43, 30 May 1945.  Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.  On 2-3 June 1944, at 1 a.m., Pvt. Christian elected to sacrifice his life in order that his comrades might extricate themselves from an ambush. Braving massed fire of about 60 riflemen, 3 machineguns, and 3 tanks from positions only 30 yards distant, he stood erect and signaled to the patrol to withdraw. The whole area was brightly illuminated by enemy flares. Although his right leg was severed above the knee by cannon fire, Pvt. Christian advanced on his left knee and the bloody stump of his right thigh, firing his submachinegun. Despite excruciating pain, Pvt. Christian continued on his self-assigned mission. He succeeded in distracting the enemy and enabled his 12 comrades to escape. He killed 3 enemy soldiers almost at once. Leaving a trail of blood behind him, he made his way forward 20 yards, halted at a point within 10 yards of the enemy, and despite intense fire killed a machine-pistol man. Reloading his weapon, he fired directly into the enemy position. The enemy appeared enraged at the success of his ruse, concentrated 20-mm. machinegun, machine-pistol and rifle fire on him, yet he refused to seek cover. Maintaining his erect position, Pvt. Christian fired his weapon to the very last. Just as he emptied his submachinegun, the enemy bullets found their mark and Pvt. Christian slumped forward dead. The courage and spirit of self-sacrifice displayed by this soldier were an inspiration to his comrades and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the armed forces. "If there be any glory in war, let it rest on the shoulders of men like these."   -- Audie Murphy   Thank you to every soldier, sailor, airman, marine and coast guardsman who has ensured that I have the freedoms I have today.  You are my heroes. You will not be forgotten.

Graphics and information  from the MOH website.

[StarCMC]

Great thread Diva! Thanks for your hard work!!

[tiamat]

Good mroning, Canteen!

Good morning, Troops! Caitlin and I thank you for your service, past and present!

Today is TAX Day at Tia's house! (groan) So I probably won't be about much to share in the fun.

Stay safe and have fun!

[StarCMC]

Morning Kathy!

Morning Cyborg!

Morning Aeronaut!

Happy Tuesday!

HUGS!

[Aeronaut]

Gooood morning Star.

[StarCMC]

Morning NewRomeTacticus - Welcome to the Canteen!

Morning armyboy! Stay safe out there!

HUGS!

[StarCMC]

Morning John!

Morning Radix!

Morning Meekie!

Morning EGC!

Happy Tuesday!

HUGS!

[StarCMC]

Morning TT!!

Morning MoJo!

Happy Tuesday!

HUGS!

[E.G.C.]

((HUGS))back at 'ya.

[StarCMC]

Morning Goddess!

Morning Tonk!

Morning Tom!

Happy Tuesday!

HUGS!

[StarCMC]

Morning USVet!

Morning W04Man!

Happy Tuesday!

HUGS!

[StarCMC]

Morning aomagrat!

Thanks for the history of the Renown!

Happy Tuesday!

HUGS!

[StarCMC]

Good morning Caitlin!

Good morning tiamat!

Happy Tuesday, girls!

HUGS!

[StarCMC]

Well - I said good morning to you in post #86 and forgot to put your name in the "TO" space, so....Good morning again! LOL!!

[tomkow6]

Good morning!

[tomkow6]

Good morning!

[tomkow6]

MINE!

[tomkow6]

MINE!