#homefront

Women in World War I: Changing Roles & Rights

During the First World War (1914-18), as governments sought to field the largest armies possible and so conscripted millions of men to the fighting fronts, the role of women in society was greatly expanded. Women worked as nurses and medical staff, performed support duties in the armed services, and replaced men in factories and public services. The new freedoms were mostly curbed again after the war, but one lasting development was women gaining, for the first time, the right to vote in several countries, notably in Russia, Germany, the United States, and Great Britain.

Women at the Front

During WWI, Russia was the exception in permitting women to join the armed forces in fighting capacity. Maria 'Yashka' Bochkareva (1889-1920) famously petitioned the tsar in order to be allowed to do so. "Bochkareva was a brilliant success…She was four times wounded and three times decorated…She was captured and escaped; promoted corporal and then sergeant" (Shukman, 308). When the Provisional Government took power following the tsar's abdication in March 1917, Bochkareva was tasked with forming the first Women's Death Battalion. The main idea was that the well-drilled and disciplined 300 women of this battalion (who all shaved their heads) would shame male soldiers into being more disciplined themselves and inspire more men to join the armed forces. Bochkareva's battalion inflicted a serious defeat on a German army on the South-West Front in July, a victory which included the capture of 2,000 prisoners. Several other women's battalions were created in the summer of 1917, including a naval detachment.

In Britain, women who wanted to help directly on the fighting fronts could not join the armed services as combatants, but the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), later renamed the Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps (QMAAC), was formed at the end of 1916. The WAAC operated on the home front and sent women to France from 1917, members performing such duties as catering and waitressing for male soldiers. The next year, the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS) was established, and in 1918, the Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) was formed. These three women's organisations had over 100,000 members by 1918, but women did not bear arms in them; rather, they provided support, such as clerical work, driving vehicles, catering, and maintenance work, 'freeing' men to join the fighting ranks.

More commonly, women on all sides worked as paid and fully trained nurses or volunteer medical staff in the military hospitals behind, but often still very close to, the front lines. Over 17,000 British nurses served in field hospitals on the Western Front. Daisy Spickett was one such nurse, and here she explains why she joined the medical services:

I always had in mind that I wanted to nurse and as soon as I heard of any talk of forming Red Cross Hospitals I began to make enquiries. I heard also that there was a likelihood of the War Office wanting volunteers for military hospitals, and that was what I decided I wanted. It seemed to me the only hope of getting right into the middle of everything, getting abroad and doing whatever was going, and the idea of the Army attracted me – being in the Army. But it seemed to me the thing I wanted more than anything else and that was how I put my name down for military hospitals and got my posting in July 1915.

(Imperial War Museums)

Women in the medical services not only cared for the sick and wounded but also performed many other necessary tasks, such as driving ambulances, serving as vehicle mechanics, and working in clerical administration.

Read More

Coming of Age laying the steps to the penultimate episode of the season "Conspiracy"

It's funny watching this and how its portrayed here, the paranoia surrounding Quinn and Remmick and then its quickly brushed over with "eh maybe I'm jumping at shadows" as he's busy placing people he trusts in positions of power and ready to take over Starfleet.

Also contrast this with DS9's "Homefront" & "Paradise Lost"

Quinn's attempt fails because despite his precautions, he and Remmick get co-opted by the movement they're investigating (rewatching Coming of Age I doubt Remmick had been um, hollowed out and taken over by the bluegill* Queen at this point. Hell I don't think they knew what shape that whole thing was going to take), while Leyton's fails bc of Sisko and his crew. Both are responses to external threats (perceived or real).

Unfortunately I also have to ask what is Section 31 up to during this time question [sigh]. I do have ideas actually, ranging from nudging events in Conspiracy to get Picard's attention to them being fine with Leyton's acting in DS9. But i need to think on that.

Also Quinn at the end of Conspiracy is basically just given a clean bill of health and (presumably) just goes back to work (tho personally I think he just retires) and while we do get a hint of a follow up with The Drumhead, we don't really get any fallout for Quinn and his cohorts. The focus is mostly on the people that got taken over by the bluegills and how we may never how how many were taken over and not 'Quinn's been busy putting people he trusts in positions of power in the previous months.'

Regardless it's interesting watching Quinn and Leyton being portrayed a bit differently, while essentially being the same side of the same damn coin.

'Mister President, I assure you the threat is real.' - leyton

'For all we know, there was only one changeling on Earth, and he may not even be here anymore.' - jaresh-inyo

'But if he is here, we have a problem. There's no telling how much damage one changeling could do.' - sisko

'Forgive me for saying so, Captain, but you sound a little paranoid.' - jaresh-inyo

'Do I?' - sisko

'Forgive the intrusion, Mister President, but as you can see, Starfleet has every right to be concerned.' - odo

'Allow me to introduce Odo, my Chief of Security.' - sisko

'A very effective entrance, Mister Odo.' - jaresh-inyo

Artemis: “Of course I’m distraught!”

Robin: “Well get traught, or get dead.”

Artemis: “How can you be so calm?”