*Correction: Gertrude Bell was born in 1868. 

Who is Gertrude Bell actually? Svenja hears this question again and again when she talks about her Master’s thesis. Yet this woman was of enormous importance as the first and only female officer in British military intelligence – during and after the First World War. In her position, she helped shape political decisions in British-occupied Iraq. These included, above all, the geographical borders of the state of Iraq. They continue to cause disputes in the region to this day. 

Svenja introduces us to this special woman and explains why she is also known as the “Mother of Iraq” or the “Desert Queen”. We also want to explore the question: How was Gertrude Bell able to assert herself as the only woman in a male-dominated society?