Research Symposium

BIO

Ada is a freshman International Affairs student in the College of Social Science and Public Policy. She is part of the FSU Honors and Presidential Scholars programs, where she is completing research through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP). Her research interests include WWII history, political oppression, and international politics. Ada hopes to pursue a career in intelligence services or diplomacy, utilizing her knowledge and passion for international relations and public administration.

Ungentlemanly Warfare: The Women of the SOE

Abstract

The women who contributed to the intelligence gathering during World War II are often overlooked, despite the crucial roles they played in the Allied operations. Our project examines the women of the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) in France (F Section), and how their lives differed from their male counterparts. Historically, information gathered on these operatives has been reported through biased lenses such as sensationalism, propaganda, and misogyny, therefore muddying their achievements. We investigated this question by reading, transcribing, and analyzing primary documents, as well as academic writing. Our results found that there were significant differences between the men and women of the SOE in terms of how they were treated and discussed, yet they were given equal responsibilities and put in situations of comparable danger. Our project contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the Allied war effort and a reconsideration of gender, memory, and reputation in this context.

Keywords: history, world war two, women