This blog topic was inspired by a post seen online, which referred to girls who claim to “only hang out with guys, because girls always create too much drama”. Duh, everyone who has ever opened a history book knows this to be wrong. Men of the past and present have been conducting their little ego games, leading to ridiculously long handshakes during international summits.

 

But actually, were any wars started by women? What roles do women play in conflict? I am not talking about a Helen of Sparta- kind of role, whose romantic involvement with Paris triggered her husband’s jealousy and caused the Trojan War. I will be focussing on women who took an active role in conflict, whether that was on the front-line, secretly pulling the strings or supporting war efforts.

 

It may be that reality and legend are sometimes indistinguishable. I will try my best to narrate the stories truthfully, and I apologise in advance for any historical inaccuracies (I’m open for feedback as well!). I do not aim to present exhaustive historical research on the topics. Rather, my main goal is to pay tribute to these women who are too often relegated to the background and forgotten for their male counterparts…so does it really matter if folk stories and truth sometimes get blurred? Some of these women are brave, role models and real game changers. Others were ruthless and have caused the loss of many lives. Either way, they have broken socials norms and transgressed what was expected of them in order to be the captains of their faiths. Enjoy the read and do not hesitate to let me know of great women you have heard of!