Ecaterina Teodoroiu

Ecaterina Teodoroiu
Second Lieutenant Ecaterina Teodoroiu
Born	January 14, 1894 Vădeni, Kingdom of Romania
Died	September 3, 1917 Muncelu, Kingdom of Romania
Allegiance	Romanian Army
Service/branch	Infantry
Years of service	1916–1917
Rank	Sublocotenent
Battles/wars	World War I-Romanian Campaign
Awards	Military Virtue Medal, 1st Class and 2nd Class

Ecaterina Teodoroiu (Romanian pronunciation: [ekateˈrina te.odoˈroju]; born Cătălina Toderoiu; January 15, 1894 - September 3, 1917) was a Romanian woman who fought and died in World War I, and is regarded as a heroine of Romania.

She is favourably compared to Queen Maria of Romania.

She was born in the village of Vădeni (nowadays part of Târgu Jiu), in the historical region of Oltenia, in the family of Elena and Vasile Toderoiu, both farmers. Cătălina had five brothers (Nicolae, Eftimie, Andrei, Ion, Vasile) and two sisters (Elisabeta and Sabina). After studying for 4 years in Vădeni and Târgu Jiu (at the Romanian-German Primary School) and graduating from the Girls' School in Bucharest, she was to become a teacher when the Romanian Kingdom entered World War I on the Allied side, in 1916.

A 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, Sergeant in the Romanian Army. It was an unusual decision for a woman of that epoch, so she was sent to the front rather reluctantly. However, with the support of the Romanian royal family, soon she proved her worthiness as a symbol and as a soldier.

Working as a nurse, on October 14 Ecaterina 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 Ecaterina to Bucharest on October 23.

On October 30, she went to the frontline to see her brother Nicolae, Sergeant in the 18 Infantry Regiment (Gorj), who was shortly killed afterwards, on November 1, by a shell during fighting near Porceni.