Women and War in Early Modern Russia (Seventeenth to Eighteenth Centuries)

This chapter covers the history of war and women in seventeenth and eighteenth century Russia, beginning with the Smolensk War in 1632. Carol B. Stevens examines the “almost completely unstudied” role of women and military in Russia during this time period. She argues that the few women fighters in Russia had little if any impact on civilian culture and gender issues during the time period in question. She also explores the role of military wives in the Russian military. This chapter is part of a larger body of work which concerns itself with military institutions and the history of the participation of women in these institutions.