Courage and Grief

Courage and Griefilluminates in a nuanced fashion Sweden's involvement in Europe's destructive Thirty Years' War (1618-48). Focusingon the various roles women performed in the bloodyand extendedconflict, Mary ElizabethAiles analyzes howmethodsof warfareand Swedish society were changing in profound ways.This study considers the experiences of unmarried camp followers andofficers' wives as well as peasant womenwho remained in the countryside during times ofconflictand upheaval. Women contributed to the war effort in a variety of ways. On campaignthey provided support services to armies in the field. On the home frontthey helped to minimize disruptions incurred within their frayed communities. As increasing numbers of men left to fight overseas, women took over local economic activities and defended their families' interests. Such activities significantly altered the fabric of Swedish society. Examining women's wartime experiences in the Thirty Years' War enhances our understanding of women's roles in society, the nature of female power and authority, and the opportunities and hardships that warfare brought to women's lives.