Born: 15 January 1894 (Vdeni, Oltenia, Romania)
Died: 3 September 1917
Biography:
Ecaterina Teodoroiu (Romanian pronunciation: [ekaterina te.odoroju]; born Ctlina Toderoiu; 15 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. 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,[citation needed] she was able to serve in the military and eventually came to be seen as a symbol.
Early life
Teodoroiu was born in the village of Vdeni (now part of Târgu Jiu), in the historical region of Oltenia, in the family of Elena and Vasile Toderoiu, both farmers. Ecaterina had five brothers (Nicolae, Eftimie, Andrei, Ion, Vasile) and two sisters (Elisabeta and Sabina). After studying for 4 years in Vdeni and Târgu Jiu at the Romanian-German Primary School, she went on to graduate from the Girls’ School in Bucharest. There she joined the first female Romanian Scout troop. Returning home, she became active in another scout troop. Before she could start her preparation for a teaching certificate, the Kingdom of Romania entered World War I in August 1916, on the side of the Allies.
Military career
Working as a nurse, on 27 October [O.S. 14 October] 1916 Teodoroiu joined the civilians and the reserve soldiers fighting to repulse the attack of a Bavarian company of the 9th German Army at the bridge over the Jiu River, in front of Târgu-Jiu. Impressed by her bravery, the Royal Family invited her to Bucharest on 6 November [O.S. 23 October]. On 13 November [O.S. 30 October], she went to the frontline to see her brother Nicolae, a sergeant in the 18th Infantry Regiment (Gorj) [ro]. Shortly afterwards, on 14 November [O.S. 1 November], her brother was killed by an artillery shell during fighting near Porceni (today Gorncel, Schela, Gorj).
Wishing to avenge her brother’s death, Teodoroiu asked Colonel Obogeanu to allow her to join the 18th Infantry Regiment as a volunteer. She would soon prove her military skills by using a ruse in order to keep her company, surrounded by the enemy, from being taken prisoner: after announcing in German the decision of the regiment to surrender, Teodoroiu started shooting, killing several Germans and allowing most of the company to escape. She was later captured during fighting on the Rina-Tuni-Peteana heights on the night of 16/17 November [O.S. 3/4 November] 1916, but
Awards:
– Order of Michael the Brave, 3rd Class
– Medal for Military Virtue