Milunka Savić, the Most Decorated Female Soldier in History
Few remember her name. But she holds more medals than any other woman in military history.
She fought in three wars, earning a dozen medals. And she disguised herself as her brother to serve in the Army. But most people don’t know her name. Milunka Savić is the most decorated female soldier in history, and her story is both inspiring and tragic.
Milunka Savić, Undercover Female Soldier
In 1912, Serbia needed to raise a massive army to battle the Ottoman Empire. And in order to raise an army of 750,000 men, the Balkans drafted soldiers. But not everyone who responded to the call was a man.
The Savić family, who lived in a rural village, wanted to support the war effort. But their son had tuberculosis and could not join the army. So Milunka Savić chopped off her hair and put on a uniform, taking her brother’s spot in the army. Since her village only had 20 people, Milunka could get away with calling herself “Milun Savić” to serve in the military.
The 24-year-old enlistee saw combat at the Battle of Kumanovo in Oct. 1912, which took place not far from Savić’s hometown. Then, at the Battle of Bregalnica, Savić made a name for herself by targeting the enemy with grenades, ruthlessly withstanding 10 charges. Her bravery earned Savić her first medal, but it also sent her to the hospital with shrapnel wounds.
Still disguised as a man, the battle wound revealed Savić’s true identity. At first, her commanding officer asked if she’d rather join a nursing unit and serve with the other women. But Savić said no. She did not want to leave the battlefield — she was a decorated soldier and wanted to keep fighting.
Ultimately, Savić’s commanding officer agreed to keep her in the unit. And she continued to astonish her fellow soldiers with her bravery. After distinguishing herself in the First and Second Balkan Wars, Savić fought for Serbia in World War I.
Savić’s Service in World War I
The Balkan wars ended in the summer of 1913. But by the next summer, war had returned to Serbia again, with the declaration of World War I. An Austrian army marched into Serbia, where the Serbian army met them.
At the Battle of Cer, Milunka Savić and the Serbian Army handed the Central Powers their first defeat at the hands of the Allies. And Savić continued to stand out on the battlefield. At the Battle of Kolubara, Savić raced across No Man’s Land wrapped in grenades and single-handedly captured 20 Austrian soldiers while clearing a trench. Only a head wound from shrapnel ended her charge.
The victory drove Austria from Serbia and earned Savić the highest honor in the Serbian military, the Karadjordje Star with Swords.
But even Austria’s withdrawal didn’t make Serbia safe. And Savić continued to fight for the Allies, earning a second Karadjordje Star with Swords when she captured 23 Bulgarian soldiers with her signature trench-clearing grenade techniques. Then Savić and her unit joined up with the French Army, where she once again stood out for her bravery.
By the end of her military career, Savić had received 12 medals, including the Legions d’Honneur from France, the Cross of St. George from Russia, and the Medal of the Order of St. Michael from the British. She was also the only female soldier in World War I to receive the French Croix de Guerre.
Famous Female Soldiers in History
Milunka Savić was one of many famous female soldiers in history, in spite of the fact that women were not allowed to enlist in armies or fight in wars until recently. And yet that did not stop generations of women from serving in the military.
During the American Revolution, Deborah Sampson longed to fight for the Continental Army. So in 1782, she enlisted, disguised as a man. Sampson fought at Yorktown, sustaining wounds that she feared would reveal her secret. Sampson treated her injuries alone, even removing musket balls from her own leg.
But that didn’t protect Sampson when she collapsed with a fever after Yorktown. A Philadelphia doctor quickly discovered Sampson’s secret, but vowed not to reveal the truth. Long after the war, Sampson published memoirs revealing her story. Many celebrated Sampson’s service, and the federal government even awarded her a military pension.
Sarah Emma Edmonds began dressing as a man long before the Civil War broke out. After fleeing an abusive father as a teenager, Edmonds adopted the alias Franklin Thompson and became a traveling book salesman. When war broke out, she joined the Union army as a man and fought at the First Battle of Bull Run.
Like Sampson, Edmonds quickly realized that injury or illness would reveal her gender. When she caught malaria, Edmonds was forced to desert her regiment to seek treatment. Before she could return, Edmonds saw her likeness on wanted posters for desertion. So she left behind Franklin Thompson and became a nurse at a military hospital.
Sampson and Edmonds were part of a long legacy of women who disguised themselves to join the military. But the risks were high — as they were for the most famous woman who wore men’s clothes and led armies, Joan of Arc.
In the 1420s, Joan of Arc pleaded with France’s heir to join the army. Joan, still a teenager, convinced the French of her military prowess and quickly racked up a series of stunning victories. Joan helped the French turn the tide in the final stages of the Hundred Year’s War.
But when the English captured Joan, they accused her of an unusual crime: wearing men’s clothes. Uncomfortable at their losses to a teenage girl, the English also declared that Joan was hearing demonic voices and accused her of witchcraft. After a hasty trial, the English burned Joan of Arc at the stake.
The danger of dressing as a man to fight in war never fully vanished. But by the 20th century, women were able to serve in an official capacity. In the past, women had often traveled with armies to support their efforts, sometimes joining in combat. During World War II, these support roles were officially organized as auxiliary corps.
Close to 350,000 American women served in the military during World War II. However, they were still limited to non-combat roles.
The same was not true for some countries. In particular, Eastern European countries accepted women into the military before many other nations standardized the practice. That’s how Milunka Savić became the most decorated female soldier in military history.
The Post-War Life of Milunka Savić
Returning home to Serbia after the war was a difficult transition for the military hero — because many did not think Savić looked like a war hero. Unlikely soldiers also made unlikely veterans, which could turn life after war into a tragedy.
Milunka Savić fought in three wars. She survived nine battlefield wounds. And she earned 12 medals. In spite of her heroism in war, Savić found herself working as a cleaning lady as a veteran.
After serving in the Serbian and French armies during World War I, Milunka Savić had a choice: she could live in France with a military pension or return home to Serbia.
Savić chose Serbia. She married, had a child, and adopted three more. But then Savić’s husband left her with four children. Savić became a cleaning lady at Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Eager to defend her country when World War II began, Savić helped run an infirmary. But Nazi occupation targeted Savić for her support of the liberation movement. The war hero found herself in the Banjica concentration camp, located in Serbia.
While thousands died at Banjica, Savić survived the concentration camp because of her military heroism. A German officer recognized her and helped secure Savić’s release after nearly a year in the camp.
Although she survived the war, Savić once again found herself living in poverty. After World War II, Savić lived in Belgrade with her daughter and three adopted daughters. She died in 1973 without the full recognition for her military service.
For more true stories from military history, check out War and Chance to discover the moments that changed the course of military history. War and Chance is available in ebook, paperback, or audiobook and free with Kindle Unlimited.
Bruce Wilson Jr. is the author of nine books on history. Visit Bruce Wilson’s website to learn more.
