Catherine the Great

Sometimes great wars are filled with fearless warriors waging battle against all odds, but sometimes the true art of war comes from the great mind of a cherished philosopher, as is the case of Catherine the Great. Catherine the Great will forever be linked to military history due to the large advancements during her reign that led Russia to become one of the greater powers during the 1700s.

Catherine succeeded in expanding Russia’s borders to encompass New Russia, Crimea, Right-Bank Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Courland. She did this by defeating the seemingly undefeatable Ottoman Empire and Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth. When Catherine’s reign was over, Russia had been extended over 200,000 miles – quite a large leap for any country. Russia gained so much ground during her reign that the Russian Empire became the foremost power throughout south-eastern Europe.

Many military leaders throughout the world watched with stunned eye as Catherine took on the great Ottoman Empire. Her moves were always strategic, and a great example of her mighty mind was the Battle of Chesma which took place in order to gain Russia access to the Black Sea, a crucial trade route. Through this gain, the Russian Empire was able to establish various new cities that gave Russia its vast power. When the Ottomans attempted to retaliate against Catherine’s Russia, they were devastatingly outnumbered and defeated.

Catherine led Russia to become an important mediator between countries, and she always acted the part of the pacifist politician when deciding upon military strategy. Later in her life, Catherine largely assisted the partitions of Poland and became known as the “philosopher on the throne.” Catherine was largely aware of her social image and wished to let the rest of the world know of her kind heart and generous political ambitions – even though to many people inside of her Russia believed her to be a tyrant. In the end, Catherine the great philosopher died alone from a stroke, although – as with any great military leader – there is much speculation as to the actual cause of her death. Catherine the Great will always be remembered for her love of the arts, her great military strategies, and her help in allowing Russia to realize its full capabilities.

GI Jane: A Debt and a Date

When Colonel Oveta Culp Hobby said that American women had “A debt and a date, a debt to democracy and a date with destiny” shortly after becoming the first commander of the new Women’s Army Corps (commonly known as the “WACs”) during the middle of the United States’ involvement in WW II she was certainly talking about the future of women in the military service of their country but was also paying tribute to the untold thousands who have served our country in one capacity or another since the times of the Revolutionary War.

From the legendary Molly Pitcher who reportedly took up loading and firing her fallen husband’s cannon during the Revolution, to Clara Barton who with boundless energy nursed the wounded and dying of both sides during the Civil War, to Colonel Hobby herself, who almost single-handedly is responsible for modern women in the military having received equal training, recognition, acceptance, and the opportunity to serve America in times of both war and peace, women have played a vital; and often unappreciated; role in the history of our Armed Services.

It is difficult to find a veteran of Vietnam or the first Gulf War who was wounded and doesn’t have at least one story about how important it was to their recovery to have the caring ministrations that one of the many hundreds of nurses in the battlefield hospitals provided to them. Often words such as “angel” and “lifesaver” are used to describe these brave female soldiers.

In the military of today women have truly achieved equality in training, assignments, promotions, and the opportunity to serve in combat units. It is obvious that American women have fulfilled “their debt to democracy” and are keeping their “date with destiny” just as Colonel Hobby stated so many years ago.