Women's Role In Military History Analysis

Military historian John Keegan argued that women have the inability to be involved in combat, therefore resulting in an insignificant role in military history. Although many other historians may agree with this typical view of women, history does prove that women have had an important role in military history and have irrefutably been incorporated in combat. The evidence of women’s involvement and capabilities in combative operations can be seen throughout the American Revolution, World War II, and in recent times; the duties and tasks women performed in battle often provided the success that certain countries needed in order to win the war. The American Revolution was a fight for independence, and this fight did not exclude the women

Of course, the Women of the Army did perform these duties but usually for themselves; they didn’t do the chores for enlisted men. And while the Women of the Army were involved with support units (such as medical corps), they also served in combat as support troops with artillery. The main duty of the Army women was to carry water to the gun crews for swabbing out the cannon. This task was essential for the success of the American troops because the barrel of the cannon needed to be swabbed out after firing in order to quench sparks and remove powder before it could be reloaded. Also, having women fulfill this duty allowed men to be free for other, more important, duties. Although women did not pull the trigger, they were still an essential part of the fighting, and they regularly found themselves in the middle of enemy fire and in combat

More able-bodied soldiers were called to leave the militia and join Washington’s army. As more and more men were leaving, the implementation of women soldiers became more crucial. “Keeping women out of combat, like keeping them from full participation in the labor force, is feasible only when there is no shortage of manpower.” Because of the never-ending call for men to leave their units, women had no choice but to join in the fighting in order to be successful in the