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LE DONNE NEL PRIMO CONFLITTO MONDIALE 190

the fact that the two legionaries were termed ‘Schützenfräulein’ (Rifle Mademoiselles).
After it had been clarified that the two women supposed to be honoured were neither
nurses nor female auxiliaries but in fact female soldiers, the case was forwarded to the
Military Chancellery of the Emperor. This was due to the fact that medals of bravery
could not be awarded to women according to the regulations. In the end the emperor
decided in favour of awarding the decorations. This resulted in the permission to
grant such awards also to women from November 1915 onwards. That the unauthori-
zed deployment of female soldiers had breached existing regulations was overlooked
25
deliberately in this instance. These legionaries were also glorified as ‘heroines’ by the
k.u.k. propaganda.
During the winter of 1915/16, however, all female legionaries were withdrawn from
frontline service and were attached to the Legion’s section for the training of recruits
and therefore banned from participating in fighting. According to the official records
six female legionaries served in the ranks of this volunteer formation, albeit it has to be
assumed that more female soldiers fought at least temporarily in the Ukrainian Legion
at the beginning of the war. The majority of them rose to the rank of ensign or serge-
ant. After 1915, however, no further women were admitted to the Ukrainian Legion.

25 Ernst Rutkowski, Die k.k. Ukrainische Legion 1914 – 1918. Österreichische militärhistorische For-
schungen, 9/10, Vienna 2009, p. 318-324.

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