Ecaterina Teodoroiu | |
|---|---|
 Second Lieutenant Ecaterina Teodoroiu | |
| Birth name | Cătălina Toderoiu |
| Born | January 14, 1894 Vădeni, Kingdom of Romania |
| Died | September 3, 1917 (aged 23) Muncelu, Kingdom of Romania |
| Buried | 45°02′28″N 23°16′19″E / 45.041141°N 23.271861°E |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Romania |
| Service |  Royal Romanian Army |
| Years of service | 1916–1917 |
| Rank | Sublocotenent |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Military Virtue Medal, 1st Class and 2nd Class[1] |
Ecaterina Teodoroiu (Romanian pronunciation: [ekateˈrina te.odoˈroju]; formal rendition of Cătălina Toderoiu;[1] 14 January 1894 – 3 September 1917) was a Romanian woman who fought on the front and died in World War I, and is regarded as a heroine of Romania.[2]
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.[2] 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,[citation needed] she was able to serve in the military and eventually came to be seen as a symbol.[2]