Shattered Fronts: The Explosive Interplay of Gender and Warfare in the 20th Century

Abstract

This article examines how 20th-century wars (WWI, WWII, Algerian War, Vietnam) reshaped gender roles and identities while reinforcing patriarchal norms. Using qualitative historical analysis, it tests the hypothesis that total war catalyzed temporary female emancipation followed by conservative backlash. Drawing on feminist historiography and transnational case studies, it reveals war as both crisis and catalyst in the evolution of masculinity, femininity, and power. Keywords: gender, war, twentieth century, women’s mobilization, masculinity, feminist historiography, decolonization.