Ecaterina Teodoroiu

Female Romanian soldier

Ecaterina Teodoroiu (Romanian pronunciation: [ekate'rina te.odo'roju]; born Catalina Toderoiu; 15 January 1894 – 3 September 1917) was a Romanian woman who fought on the front and died in World War I, and was regarded as a heroine of Romania.

A Romanian Scouts member, she had initially worked as a nurse but she subsequently decided to become a front-line soldier, being deeply impressed by the patriotism of the wounded and the death of her brother Nicolae, a sergeant in the Romanian Army.

It was an unusual decision for a woman of that era, so she was sent to the front rather reluctantly.

However, with the support of the Romanian royal family, she was able to serve in the military and eventually came to be seen as a symbol.