CONTRIBUTIONS OF SOVIET WOMEN DURING WORLD WAR II
ON THE HOMEFRONT AND ON THE BATTLEFIELD
Women in the Soviet Union during WWII not only fought in some instances but also made significant contributions in keeping their homes, families and country together during the war years. Women's contributions ranged from harvesting crops to flying fighter aircraft and shooting down enemy planes. Nothing was too difficult or too demanding during the war years.
Understanding the status of women in the labor force just before war broke out is important. Following the Revolution, women in the 1920s stood to gain as a result of rapid industrial growth and the growing urbanization of the population. Soon the demand for labor overwhelmed the male population, and women were drawn into the labor force in massive numbers.
The opportunity for work outside the home offered women of the Soviet Union the chance to gain a measure of independence, to earn their own wages and to escape the drudgery of purely domestic chores. By the period of 1932-37, women were 82 percent of all new workers. They entered varied fields of work, including science, education, public health and even eventually aviation. Thus, just prior to WWII, women had moved into many areas which were to become vital during the war years. When WWII broke out, it was reported that the party, Komsomol, trade unions, military commissariats and the Red Cross received thousands of applications from women who were very anxious to serve in any way they could. Although women had been involved in and had served during other wars and the Revolution, there was really no precedent for large numbers of women on active duty. It was only in World War II that a mass recruitment of women took place. It was estimated that, at the peak of their strength, more than one million women were on active duty at the end of 1943. This number included women in the armed forces and in the part...