Eleanor Roosevelt Archives - The Riveting Rosies

Scythian Women, Amazons Made Real

The Riveting Rosies Podcast — Wed, 28 Dec 2022 19:28:11 +0000

Scythian women were fierce female warriors who lived around 8th century BC to 5th century AD. However, until the 1970s, these fearsome women were considered to be nothing more than fiction.

Scythians were not necessarily a unified culture, but rather a group of nomadic tribes who occupied the Pontic Steppe. Similar to what we know of Mongolian warriors, Scythians were skilled warriors, particularly on horseback with the use of a smaller than usual bow, which allowed for greater maneuverability while on a horse

Legendary stories written about these fierce female warriors called the Amazons, included famous figures such as Penthesilea (who fought an equal battle against Achilles, but was ultimately defeated), Hippolyta (who later married Greek hero Theseus), Antiope, and Tessalia. It was not uncommon for Greek heroes to face off against an Amazon-like warrior to prove their worth

These women were truly badasses: they smoked pot (or something very close to it), drank fermented horse milk, had lots of tattoos, and may have even invented pants.

Definitive evidence emerged in the 1970s that finally proved the Amazons actually existed. In fact, Themyscira may not be entirely fiction either!

The name “Amazon” more than likely comes from a Persian/Iranian or Caucasian-based word, potentially “hamazon,” the Persian word for warrior. It does NOT mean “without breast” in Greek (this theory has been largely discounted).

Many myths surrounding the Scythian women still exist today, including that they were a women-only people and that they killed off their male youth – FALSE! They more than likely participated in a tribal practice of fosterage, which allowed sons to be raised by other tribes to help ensure peaceful relationships with these tribes.

We still have much to learn about these fearsome women warriors, as they may have been previously discounted by male historians and classicists due to sexism.

References:

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Tamar of Georgia & Princess Takamatsu

The Riveting Rosies Podcast — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 19:56:51 +0000

Tamar of Georgia

Tamar of Georgia was a queen of Georgia who reigned from 1184 to 1213.

The daughter of King George III of Georgia, Tamar is known for her successful military campaigns against neighboring countries and her promotion of Georgia as a major power in the region. She is considered one of the greatest rulers in Georgia’s history and is often referred to as “Tamar the Great” & “King of Kings.”

Tamar is remembered for her efforts to unite Georgia, expand the kingdom’s territory, and strengthen the country’s cultural and economic ties with Europe. She is also remembered for her patronization of the arts and her efforts to spread Christianity throughout Georgia.

References:

Princess Takamatsu

Princess Takamatsu (1894-1961) was a member of the Japanese imperial family and the younger sister of Emperor Hirohito. She was the third child of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken and the younger sister of Emperor Taishō. Princess Takamatsu was married to Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni, who served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 1945 to 1946.

Princess Takamatsu was known for her philanthropic work, and she was particularly interested in promoting education and cultural exchange. She supported various charities and founded the Takamatsu Foundation, which supported education and research in the arts and sciences. In addition to her charitable work, Princess Takamatsu was also involved in the Japanese Red Cross and served as its president for many years.

Princess Takamatsu died in 1961 at the age of 67.

References:

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Ep. 06 – Lyudmila Pavlichenko & St. Olga of Kiev

The Riveting Rosies Podcast — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Organizations supporting Ukrainians during this time:

International Relief Committee – we are currently supporting this organization with our swear jar proceeds.

World Central Kitchen

Razom for Ukraine

International Fund for Animal Welfare

Lyudmila Pavlichenko by Elise

Lyudmila Pavlichenko is the most successful female sniper to date, with a staggering 309 confirmed kills to her name.

Growing up in Kiev, Lyudmila quickly became a proficient sharpshooter & volunteered for the Red Army infantry – but not before being rejected at first, instead being told she should be a nurse.

Despite only being given a grenade for her weapon, she became a sniper after a dying comrade gave her his gun & she immediately shot 2 enemies in her “baptism of fire.”

Nicknamed “Lady Death” by the Nazis, Lyudmila quickly rose through the ranks, but her combat career ended with a battlefield injury.

Lyudmila then went on to train snipers throughout the rest of the war & formed a lifelong friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt after she undertook a public relations tour of the United States & Canada.

After WWII, Lyudmila finished her degree at Kiev University & became a historian & research assistant.

She died in 1974 after a stroke.

Lyudmila Pavlichenko with gold star, Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Justice Robert Jackson, Eleanor Roosevelt and Lyudmila Pavlichenko, Jack Delano, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

References

St. Olga of Kiev by Corissa

Olga of Kiev was the first known female ruler of modern day Russia & is credited with bringing Christianity to the Rus’ people.

Married to Prince Igor I of Kiev at about age 15, she quashed his assassins & their rebellion to ensure her son would one day rule the Kievan Rus’ (literally you’ve listen to Corissa tell this story to believe it).

Despite such a violent start to her reign, she oversaw the first legal reform in Eastern Europe & established many trade routes/centers.

She then converted to Christianity, baptized by Constantinople VII in a highly calculated political move. After her death, she was canonized due to her efforts to spread the faith throughout Rus’.

Olga of Kiev – Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Revenge of Saint Olga
by Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

References

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Ep. 01 – Rosie the Riveter & The Women of WWII

The Riveting Rosies Podcast — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Corissa:

U.S. got involved in WW2 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, which led to a shortage of workers, primarily white men
Push from U.S. government to recruit new workers to jobs in the war industry (AKA the Home Front), used Rosie the Riveter for propaganda
Created a whole campaign around Rose in print media to recruit women to the Home Front. Popular image at the time by Norman Rockwell (published in the Saturday Evening Post, May 29, 1943), but the image we know today was created by J. Howard Miller on a poster for the Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Song created in 1943 by Redd Evans & John Jacob Loeb called “Rosie the Riveter” led to the immortalization of her name
Total percentage of women in the workforce increased from 27% to 37% between 1940 to 1945; 1 in 4 married women worked outside the home as a result of the Rosie campaign
Aviation industry had the largest female presence on the Home Front, increased from the pre-war 1% to 65%
Munitions industry also heavily recruited women to aid American & Allied forces as part of FDR’s “Arsenal of Democracy”
Mass influx of workers to the industrial centers led to creation of “boom towns” across the country; many workers chose to stay after the conclusion of the war, changing the cultural landscape of the U.S.
Women in armed forces during WW2:
- WACs (Women’s Army Corps): partially created by Eleanor Roosevelt, established full military status for non-combatant positions in the U.S. and evey theater of the war. Began in 1942 with 200 jobs, and increased to over 100,000 workers and 6,000 officers by 1945. Additional efforts were created by the Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and the Navy, who established WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service).
- WASPs (Women’s Airforce Service Pilots): women with pilot’s licenses prior to the war, the first women to fly military aircraft in the U.S.. Helped get planes and cargo from factories to military bases, also helped simulate missions. Racked up over 60 million miles in flight distance. Over 1,000 served, 38 lost their lives. Civil service employees, not given full military status until 1977.
Women’s role in the workforce was considered temporary; many women lost jobs or were demoted after the war. Pay received for their work was approximately 50% of male wages.
Working conditions were dangerous; more industrial casualties than military casualties from Pearl Harbor & D-Day Invasion combined
- High industrial casualties led to regulations to increase workplace safety
Large numbers of working mothers led to creation of child development centers and profession of early childhood development
Men & women of minorities also recruited to the Home Front, helped make significant impacts on Women’s Rights Movement and Civil Rights Movement in later years
Cohesive, patriotic sense of duty was created nation-wide. People of all backgrounds worked together towards a common goal and had to overcome differences.
- War bonds purchased, children collected recyclable materials and scrap, Americans grew 60% of consumed produce in Victory Gardens
- “Use It Up–Wear It Out–Make It Do–Or Do Without”
Women replaced men in sports, orchestras, community institutions
Rosie the Riveter/WW2 Home Front National Historic Park established in 2000, located in Richmond, California. Home to the most productive shipyard in WW2, produced 747 ships. 55 total war industries located here, several buildings still intact, as well as the SS Red Oak Victory, the last remaining Victory ship built within the shipyard.

Elise:

While World War II started in 1939 with the German invasion of Poland, the United States didn’t enter the war until after Pearl Harbor was invaded on December 7, 1941. At this point, the US quickly employed an “all hands on deck” approach to getting involved in the international conflict. This meant they shipped supplies & men overseas as fast as they could. This left many jobs empty, which needed filling. For context,16 million US males were mobilized.

What I didn’t realize until researching this, is that some women actually started getting involved before WWII actually started. In 1938, the US Naval Reserve Act permitted qualified women to enlist as nurses.

However, once the US joined the war, women really became involved (or were able to become) involved. From 1940-1945, females went from making up 27% of the US workforce to ~37% of the US workforce. One of every 4 married women in the US were working outside the home by 1945.

Military:

Auxiliary branches for women were created for different branches of the military: Women’s Army Corps, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, & Women Airforce Service Pilots (these are the famous WASPs that we’ll cover in a future episode). Unfortunately, these women were still restricted from combat zones, which led many to become nurses to care for wounded troops.

Some women took more office & clerical military jobs, freeing up men to take combat roles. Other women worked as airplane mechanics, lab technicians, radio operators, test pilots, & more.

It’s important to note here that these women did not have “cush” jobs: they still worked near frontlines. Nurses were present in the early days of Normandy. 16 women in the Army Nurse Corps were killed by direct enemy fire. Nearly 70 were captured as Prisoners of War in the Philippines. These women even won awards & combat decorations.

Women also participated in the Manhattan Project, which was a research & development project that built the first nuclear weapons, yes including the atomic bomb. They were recruited from colleges & worked on several aspects of this project. And yet, they were still not given the opportunity to progress into leadership positions. Many women were not given credit for their contributions until much later, or even at all.

On the homefront:

As Corissa mentioned, many women worked on the homefront, including in war factories, agriculture, transportation, & clerical/office work.

Some of the most popular positions included working in aviation plants. According to Wikipedia, the skills that the women acquired from their “daily chores proved to be very useful in helping them acquire new skill sets towards the war effort.” Hence, why riveting was such a phenomenon – apparently their sewing skills prepared them extensively for riveting. But they also did a lot of other stuff too.

To the surprise of no woman ever (& I’m biased here), the women were found to be more competent than the males who traditionally worked these jobs. For example, the United States Department of Labor found that women were drilling 150% more holes than what the men would do. And yet they were still paid less.

Beyond the aviation industry, women worked in metal, steel, automobile, shipbuilding, bombs, & weapons plants.

In addition to work outside the home, women also volunteered extensively to assist the war effort. They grew & canned their own food with victory gardens, sold war bonds, donated blood, helped boost troop morale at home & abroad & much more.

In conclusion:

Throughout the rest of World War II, more than 6 million women took wartime factory jobs, approximately 3 million women volunteered with the Red Cross, & more than 200,000 women actually served in the military. In total, 19 million women worked on the homefront.

Through their work & volunteering, these women experienced new levels of independence, both financially & socially. In fact, most of these women desired to keep their new jobs, but almost all were laid off as men returned from overseas. Those who weren’t laid off were demoted & were paid less.

It really wasn’t until later in the 1900s with the Civil Rights Movement & Equal Pay Act of 1963, where women really began to work outside the home in large numbers.

One thing I found interesting is that apparently the Axis powers were very slow to employ women in the war effort. Hitler said German women should just be good wives & mothers & keep producing perfect little Third Reich babies.

Resources:

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