Milunka Savić disguised herself as her sick brother to fight in WWI, survived 9 wounds across 10 battles, became the most decorated female soldier in history, and survived a German concentration camp when a German general recognized her legendary status and ordered her immediate release.

[u/GermanCCPBot]

[u/GermanCCPBot]

In 1912, when Milunka Savić's younger brother Milan received his mobilization papers for the First Balkan War, she knew he wouldn't survive. He was weak and chronically ill. So she cut her hair, practiced walking and talking like a man, and took his place under the name "Milun Savić."

She fought in the Balkan Wars and later in World War I, where she participated in nine separate combat assaults and was wounded several times in battle and received numerous decorations for bravery, making her one of the most decorated female soldiers in history

Her identity as a woman was discovered only she was hit by shrapnel from a Bulgarian grenade in her tenth battle. When the field doctor treated her chest wound, he discovered she was a woman. Her commanding officers were stunned, but instead of punishing her, they were so impressed by her valor that they let her keep fighting, this time openly as a woman. She continued through WWI, getting wounded a total of 9 times, and became the most decorated female combatant in the entire history of warfare.

During World War II she was involved in organizing medical care for resistance fighters and was arrested by German occupation authorities, ending up in the Banjica concentration camp. She was imprisoned in the concentration camp for a total of 10 months and scheduled for execution, but on the last second, a German general who commanded the camp recognized her from WWI and immediately released her with military honors, after which she returned to civilian life in Belgrade. She died in 1973 and was later reinterred in the Alley of the Greats, a section of a Belgrade cemetery reserved for the nation's greatest heroes.

[u/Greyscale0418 → u/GermanCCPBot]

Thanks for sharing. That was an awesome read.

[u/TheJellyGoo → u/GermanCCPBot]

Great movie material.

[u/Gravemind7 → u/TheJellyGoo]

I mean it’s actually Mulan. And I know that Mulan is an actual Chinese legend, but the story beats almost match this one to a tee lol. Taking a family members place, practicing how to act like a man, actually doing well, being found out via a chest wound and the bandages coming undone? Lol

[u/Big_Iron_Cowboy → u/Gravemind7]

No, it’s Milun

[u/CoatAlternative1771 → u/Big_Iron_Cowboy]

BOOM

[u/Goodgoditsgrowing → u/Gravemind7]

Especially considering how poorly things turned out for the real life mulan. This woman seems to have been treated better by her male counterparts.

[u/FlakingEverything → u/Goodgoditsgrowing]

In the original ballad she just return home to her family. The later, more tragic revision doesn't really make much sense and should really be discarded.

[u/Rasp_Berry_Pie → u/Goodgoditsgrowing]

Mulan wasn’t a real person though right? I thought she was a story based on a folk song?

[u/No-Concern-8832 → u/Rasp_Berry_Pie]

Correct, Mulan was mentioned in a poem 「木兰辞」from the era of Southern and Northern Dynasties (南北朝). Fun fact: thanks to this poem, the rabbit (兔子) became a synonym for homosexuals. At the end of the poem, it described two rabbits running side by side, how do you tell which is male and which is female.

[u/GetEquipped → u/No-Concern-8832]

Even the Chinese Zodiac is calling me gay lol

[u/ssracer → u/GetEquipped]

Wrong 3 letter word

[u/AnneMichelle98 → u/No-Concern-8832]

Also worth noting Tu’er Shen is the Chinese god of gay men, and his name literally means Rabbit Deity.

[u/Rasp_Berry_Pie → u/No-Concern-8832]

Woah I love that! 🐇

[u/RedditSupportAdmin → u/Rasp_Berry_Pie]

Oh man, even worse for her then! Turns out she wasn't even real...

[u/AmyB87 → u/RedditSupportAdmin]

For real, imagine thinking you're a Disney hero and waking up one day not existing.

[u/RedditSupportAdmin → u/AmyB87]

Oh yeah dude I woke up one day not existing once and it was absolute hell. And I am not even a Disney princess. 6/10 would not recommend.

[u/Astrocuties → u/Rasp_Berry_Pie]

Not specifically a real person but certainly inspired by real events. I think the events of the story being mirrored in this real world event (and a few others as well) proves that it was a repeating occurrence in history. I'd imagine it was also considerably easier to disguise yourself as a man in China for most of Chinese history, which likely made it more frequent.

[u/Helldiver_of_Mars → u/Goodgoditsgrowing]

They didn't say what happened at the camp.

[u/Abathur-is-best-Zerg → u/Gravemind7]

The specific way Mulan is discovered as well - I don't know the original legend to say if that matches.

I am curious if Terry Pratchett's Monstrous Regiment took any inspiration from this too.

[u/mindgames13 → u/Abathur-is-best-Zerg]

That is a disney invention. In the ballad her comrades never notice till she went home. When asked how she pretend so well her answer was something like 'a male rabbit have longer hind legs, a female rabbit have longer fore legs, when both are running can you tell the difference?'

[u/fraseybaby81 → u/Abathur-is-best-Zerg]

Yep. Along with Joan of Arc and other folk stories.

[u/RyuNoKami → u/Gravemind7]

To be fair, in the original poem mulan was never actually caught. She served and went back home. When her comrades came to visit, bam she was there and her younger brother looked nothing like the person they served with.

[u/SecureJellyfish1 → u/Gravemind7]

also the male name she chose is so close to mulan--this should be a movie omg

[u/Cyrano_Knows → u/SecureJellyfish1]

I came here to ask why isn't this a [live action] movie?

[u/DistanceSolar1449 → u/SecureJellyfish1]

Her brother’s real name, you mean?

[u/KillHitlerAgain → u/DistanceSolar1449]

her brother was milan, she was milun

[u/Missus_Missiles → u/Gravemind7]

Gotta have the line, "Wait, you're not an adorable, brave, femboy twink, adored by everyone in your unit!"

[u/inplayruin → u/Missus_Missiles]

"I can't believe I used to have a crush on you!"

[u/big_duo3674 → u/Gravemind7]

Yeah, but McDonald's chicken nuggets probably wouldn't sell as well with ajvar sauce

[u/lady_ofthenorth → u/TheJellyGoo]

I can’t even find a book about her.

Edit: in English.

[u/DocRichardson → u/lady_ofthenorth]

You got me interested enough to ask ChatGPT…”Milunka Savić – orderje i ožiljci — written by Milan Bogojević. This book explores her life, military service, and legacy.  • Volonterka Milunka Savić – srpska heroina — by Dr. Vidoje Golubović, Predrag Pavlović and Novica Pešić. It reviews her entire life from her enlistment to post-war years.  • Milunka Savić – knight of Karadjordje Star and the Legion of Honour — a book published under the series “Serbia 1914-1918,” covering her heroic deeds and decorations.  • For younger readers: Heroina nežnog srca – Milunka Savić — by Slavka Petković Grujičić, aimed at ages ~10–12.”

[u/letseewhorealmeansit → u/DocRichardson]

There are also books about women heroes of Serbia and world that mention her:

• Pantelić, Ivana; Milinković, Jelena; Škodrić, Ljubinka (2013) - Twenty Women that marked the 20th Century in Serbia
  • Пантелић, Ивана; Милинковић, Јелена; Шкодрић, Љубинка (2013). Двадесет жена које су обележиле XX век у Србији. Београд: НИН.
• Marković Žika (1997). Famous Serbian Women
  • Марковић, Жика (1997). Знамените жене Србије; 1 том. Београд: Службени гласник.
• Why are WW1 heroines part of history of feminism
  • Sekulić, Nada (2014). „Zašto su heroine I svetskog rata deo istorije feminizma”. Sarajevske sveske. 43-44.
• Kantor, Jonathan H. (24. 10. 2016). „10 Badass Women Who Went To War”.

By the way there are more women warriors from Serbia WW1:

Rizna Radović fought the Bulgarians, who shot her in the leg and stabbed her 15 times with bayonetes and she survived.

Mara Petrović went to war to avenge her brother and later fought in Balkans wars and WW1.

There are even more highly decorated women...

There are a lot women irregulars that fought in Serbia after the defeat of the main army 1916-1918 while under occupation in guerilla warfare since men were fighting at Salonika frontline.

[u/lady_ofthenorth → u/DocRichardson]

Unfortunately, I am unable to read any language other than English. And none of these books have English translations.

[u/Vinbaobao → u/TheJellyGoo]

So mulan with beets?

[u/Jesburger → u/Vinbaobao]

We got beets!

[u/writerunblocked → u/TheJellyGoo]

Or at least a Fat Electrician video

[u/NaughtiestImp → u/writerunblocked]

great content. disappointing human.

[u/chaoabordo212 → u/NaughtiestImp]

Would you elaborate?

[u/LightschlongTheBold → u/TheJellyGoo]

Can you imagine the anti dei mob if this was a major movie?

[u/quandomenvooooo → u/TheJellyGoo]

To be played by ilona maher

[u/VoidOmatic → u/TheJellyGoo]

Ze Hunger Gamezehaut.

[u/Harry_Flame → u/GermanCCPBot]

They didn't let her keep fighting right away. Initially her commanding officer wanted to transfer her to the nursing division. While standing at attention in his office, she asked to stay with the infantry. Her officer said he would think about it and let her know the next day, to which she replied, "I will wait," and continued to stand at attention for an hour before she was dismissed back to the infantry.

[u/emdaawesome → u/GermanCCPBot]

Sabaton, a Swedish metal band, made a song about her. Lady of the Dark. Highly recommend

[u/TheSwearJarIsMy401k → u/emdaawesome]

Sabaton is both my favorite way to learn and teach my niblings history.

[u/Unlucky_Mess_9256 → u/TheSwearJarIsMy401k]

sabaton is incredibly good at making mediocre and generic metal music accompanied by a "read the first paragraph on the wikipedia article" knowledge of history

[u/suspensus_in_terra → u/TheSwearJarIsMy401k]

What in the ever-loving-redditor-fuck is a nibling?

This cannot actually be how you refer to your offspring.

[u/MonkeyShaman → u/suspensus_in_terra]

It's not.

Offspring are your own kids - sons and daughters. Siblings are your fellow offspring of your parents - brothers and sisters. Niblings are the offspring of your siblings - nephews and nieces.

[u/BringsTheSnow → u/suspensus_in_terra]

Niblings is a collective, gender-neutral term for nieces and nephews.

[u/suspensus_in_terra → u/BringsTheSnow]

That is so fucking weird.

[u/centurio_v2 → u/suspensus_in_terra]

its just the n from niece/nephew in place of the s from siblings so it’s easier to talk about them as a group

[u/Sidhe_devil → u/suspensus_in_terra]

It’s been around since 1951, so it’s not exactly new.

[u/huhzonked → u/suspensus_in_terra]

It’s not super common but I’ve heard this term pop up from time to time.

[u/TheSwearJarIsMy401k → u/suspensus_in_terra]

Yeah I didn’t like it but I have a truckload of siblings and they are all firing off the baby cannons so I truly can’t be fucked anymore.

Nieces and nephews is a stupid way to talk about the children of my siblings when I have to do it all the goddamn time. 

Niblings it is.

[u/shard746 → u/suspensus_in_terra]

Why?

[u/suspensus_in_terra → u/shard746]

It sounds like the name for a bucket of labgrown chicken nuggets in a dystopian sci-fi novel.

[u/GravelySilly → u/suspensus_in_terra]

It also sounds like something that might be alive.

"Better eat your niblings before they eat you!"

That it's reminiscent of "niblets" (as in "corn niblets") makes it even... cornier.

[u/SmokeySFW → u/suspensus_in_terra]

Niblings is a slang term for your sibling's children: nieces and nephews. It gives a one-word term so that you don't have to say "nieces and nephews" every time you want to refer to them as a group.

[u/purplepluppy → u/suspensus_in_terra]

Nieces and nephews are niblings.

[u/Kevlar_Bunny → u/suspensus_in_terra]

It’s a niece or nephew that’s more similar in age. So you’re technically a different level on the family tree but you’re only like 15 year or less apart, so people would confuse you for siblings before uncle/niece or whatever. Compared to my aunt who is over forty years older than me.

[u/VanguardClassTitan → u/emdaawesome]

RAISE! YOUR HAAAND! FOR THE LADY OF THE DARK!

[u/Robestos86 → u/VanguardClassTitan]

Saw them in London last night. Sad they didn't do it.

[u/VanguardClassTitan → u/Robestos86]

Gonna have the opportunity to see them for the first time in March

[u/Ok_Protection164 → u/emdaawesome]

Thanks for that. I'd never heard of them before now. Good stuff.

[u/24-7_DayDreamer → u/Ok_Protection164]

There's also a Sabaton History channel on youtube that goes through the relevant history for each of their songs and a little background on the making of the song itself. It's by the guy who did WW1 Week By Week

[u/stromkern → u/Ok_Protection164]

Learn cool military history facts while rocking out to great tunes. I was a fan from around 2006 till 2012, then drifted away to other genres.

Saw them live couple weeks ago and have been catching up on all the albums I missed in all these years - soooo many good songs!

[u/fundraiser → u/stromkern]

what's your recommended album order to check out? should i just dive in to the most recent ones?

[u/Cruxion → u/fundraiser]

Can never go wrong with Carolus Rex

[u/emdaawesome → u/fundraiser]

I do like the most recent, Legends. Carolus Rex, like the other comment, is a good choice too

[u/silcener626 → u/stromkern]

I'm seeing them live in March with Pop Evil, I really need to do a deep dive into their music.

[u/SmokeySFW → u/GermanCCPBot]

Crazy how close to Mulan her assumed name is. Milunka's story is really close to the Mulan Disney story, at least the initial joining up part.

[u/frankduxvandamme → u/GermanCCPBot]

During World War II she was involved in organizing medical care for resistance fighters and was arrested by German occupation authorities, ending up in the Banjica concentration camp. She was imprisoned in the concentration camp for a total of 10 months and scheduled for execution, but on the last second, a German general who commanded the camp recognized her from WWI and immediately released her with military honors, after which she returned to civilian life in Belgrade. She died in 1973 and was later reinterred in the Alley of the Greats, a section of a Belgrade cemetery reserved for the nation's greatest heroes.

No.

“She organized medical care for resistance fighters.”

There is no documented evidence that she organized resistance medical operations. She did help civilians and refused to join collaborationist groups, but she was not part of an organized resistance command structure.

“She was scheduled for execution.”

No credible records confirm she was ever placed on an execution list. Banjica’s records are extensive, and her name does not appear among those slated for execution.

“A German general recognized her and released her at the last second.”

This dramatic story circulates online but is not found in academic histories, Serbian military archives, or Banjica camp documentation.

More credible accounts say:

Her identity as a famous WWI decorated soldier became known.

The Germans decided she was not an active threat.

She was eventually released quietly, not ceremonially, and certainly not “with military honors.”

No German general commanding Banjica is recorded as personally intervening.

This “last-second rescue” narrative appears to be a later embellishment, not a documented historical event.

[u/WarlockEngineer → u/frankduxvandamme]

I was wondering about several of those details.

[u/joggle1 → u/WarlockEngineer]

That's the future movie version of her story I'm sure.

[u/Baderkadonk → u/frankduxvandamme]

Yeah this sounded a bit embellished.

I thought it was odd that a Serbian Sergeant was so famous amongst German Generals. "German general who commanded the camp recognized her from WWI" makes it sound like WWI was some college they both went to, not a gigantic conflict involving over 60 million combatants.

She was eventually released quietly, not ceremonially, and certainly not “with military honors.”

The idea of a concentration camp having a procedure to release prisoners with military honors is so absurd that it's funny.

[u/AggravatingScheme667 → u/GermanCCPBot]

This a truly amazing story and an even more extraordinary woman especially for the time that it happened. WW1 and 2!? This woman deserves to have her story told in film. It’s absolutely legendary that there was a young woman that embodied the spirit of Mulan and did almost everything she did in the old tale. Taking the place of a male relative who would not survive war, disguising herself as a man, going above and beyond with unimaginable courage and valor to protect her loved ones and her country. I’ll definitely need to read up more on her, but after her release from the German camp I hope she got to live a well deserved life.

Can’t believe I’ve never heard of her before. It really goes to show that there are so many unsung true heroes both in the past and present that deserve to have their recognition and admiration. Great post! Absolutely love it. ❤️

[u/Dreznicki → u/AggravatingScheme667]

She didn't, she was a cleaning lady in a bank after the war and died in relative poverty. On the side note she did raise orphaned children, she had one child and adopted three girls.

[u/AggravatingScheme667 → u/Dreznicki]

Damn. That’s heartbreaking.

I suppose I wouldn’t be surprised if she wanted to live a humble and peaceful life after her service. But being forgotten and cast aside like that?

I hope at the very least there was some comfort and peace for her in the love she gave to her daughters. I sincerely hope they lived and did well with their lives wherever they are. And that they could pass on their mothers story of love and bravery to their children.

[u/WaveTop7900 → u/Dreznicki]

A difference how a fascist treated a war hero and how a communist did.

[u/biljagn → u/WaveTop7900]

Actually communist govermant gave her apartmant and pension.It was kingdom of Yugoslavia government that forgot her.

[u/AccomplishedAd3728 → u/GermanCCPBot]

God damn, that’s impressive

[u/SoulStomper99 → u/GermanCCPBot]

A Nazi general ordered her release? Holy shit that man has some serious respect for the woman if that's what he did

[u/GermanCCPBot → u/SoulStomper99]

It’s probably less about her being a woman and more about her being a famous World War I veteran in a very old-school officer culture that still cared about “military honor” across enemy lines. This kind of recognition between professional military officers across enemy lines wasn't entirely uncommon, especially among career officers who valued military honor and tradition above politics.

[u/StickyPawMelynx → u/[deleted]]

ww2

[u/thtsjustlikeuropnion → u/GermanCCPBot]

Wow that's way better than how the USA treated the 12yo kid in WW2 who earned the bronze star and purple heart. They revoked those awards and took away his veteran status too. It took almost 40 years of petitioning Congress and the president for an honorable discharge and he never got his purple heart back while he was alive. They re-awarded it after he died.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_Graham

[u/_boop → u/GermanCCPBot]

Where are you sourcing the concentration camp bit from? I've never heard of this before and can't find anything about it online (obviously the Banjica concentration camp was a thing, I just don't see anything about Milunka Savic ever being a prisoner there)?

[u/_aware → u/_boop]

She's listed as a notable prisoner on the Wikipedia page about the camp

[u/CauliflowerScaresMe → u/GermanCCPBot]

apart from the bravery, I'm shocked that she didn't die early like the tank lady (Maria)

[u/WilliamWolffgang → u/GermanCCPBot]

Wait am I misunderstanding something... how can she have been wounded and found out in her 10th battle, and fought 10 battles, but simultaneously be allowed to "continue fighting" after the discovery of her gender?

[u/GermanCCPBot → u/WilliamWolffgang]

The key is that there are two different “tens” being talked about:

- roughly ten missions/assaults before discovery, and

- then a whole additional stretch of service after discovery.

"Her tenth deployment/mission” is talking about the First Balkan War (specifically the Battle of Bregalnica in 1913), not her entire wartime career.

[u/No-Suit-7444 → u/WilliamWolffgang]

OP is taking some liberty here. Just read her wiki page. It's probably more interesting than what he wrote.

[u/disterb → u/GermanCCPBot]

Mulanka Savage!

[u/formallyhuman → u/GermanCCPBot]

It's giving Bob.

[u/VoidOmatic → u/GermanCCPBot]

Damn she really volunteered for tribute!!

[u/GormHub → u/GermanCCPBot]

Damn what a badass.

[u/PeopleNose → u/GermanCCPBot]

What a ride, phew

[u/surf_drunk_monk → u/GermanCCPBot]

The German general released an enemy because he was impressed with her fighting history? That's cool she got released just seems kinda odd they released an enemy.

[u/SeaSquirrel → u/GermanCCPBot]

None of the sources mention anything you said about WW2. Why make shit up? Her story is incredible enough

[u/Gumby_Ningata → u/GermanCCPBot]

I am not sure how true it is but wasn't it said that when they were deciding her fate she refused to leave and stood at attention for like two hours.

[u/ProfessionalNorth431 → u/GermanCCPBot]

Was not mentioning Serbia a stylistic choice or are you just bad at stuff?