Women
have been fighters ever since fighting was invented, but were rarely
ever allowed, much less invited, to participate in wars and revolutions.
But there were always some who took it upon themselves to do what
needed to be done, and a few that made their place in history. Still,
they don’t get the credit they deserve. This list has a few women
warriors I bet you’ve never heard of, like the Greek freedom fighter
Laskarina Bouboulina.
Bouboulina was born in a
Constantinople prison to parents who were locked up for taking part in a
failed Greek revolution against Ottoman rule. She played a big part in
making sure the next revolution turned out differently. Obsessed with
the sea and sailing from a young age, she married two naval commanders
(who both died in battles with pirates). In 1821, as a 50-year-old
mother of seven who'd inherited a considerable fortune, Bouboulina
decided to become a naval leader herself. She financed and took control
of the flagship of the fledgling Greek navy, which she named the
Agamemnon, and commanded an eight-strong fleet in the ultimately
successful Greek War of Independence. She didn't live to see its
successful conclusion but was posthumously given the rank of admiral in
the Russian Imperial Navy, which had allied with Greece against the
Ottomans.
Read about nine other
female military leaders at The Mary Sue.
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