▁in ▁battle ▁and ▁whether ▁they ▁would ▁have ▁a ▁positive ▁effect ▁on ▁male ▁soldiers . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Russian ▁Women ' s ▁Battalion ▁of ▁Death ▁failed ▁to ▁have ▁the ▁intended ▁effect ▁of ▁rev ital izing ▁the ▁war - we ary ▁elements ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁army ▁the ▁military ▁authorities ▁began ▁to ▁question ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁the ▁women ' s ▁units . ▁In ▁particular , ▁the ▁government ▁found ▁it ▁difficult ▁to ▁justify ▁the ▁allocation ▁of ▁badly ▁needed ▁resources ▁to ▁such ▁an ▁un re li able ▁project . ▁By ▁August ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁growing ▁incl ination ▁in ▁the ▁military ▁establishment ▁to ▁dis continue ▁the ▁organization ▁of ▁women ▁for ▁combat ▁purposes . ▁ ▁F acing ▁withdraw al ▁of ▁official ▁support ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁Moscow ▁Women ' s ▁Battalion ▁of ▁Death ▁began ▁to ▁dis integr ate ▁in ▁September . ▁Just ▁prior ▁to ▁dis band ing , ▁however , ▁about ▁ 5 0 0 ▁volunte ers ▁were ▁sent ▁to ▁the ▁front ▁at ▁their ▁own ▁request ▁but ▁without ▁the ▁knowledge ▁or ▁permission ▁of ▁the ▁military ▁authorities . ▁ ▁Fac ed ▁with ▁the ▁decision ▁of ▁what ▁to ▁do ▁with ▁their ▁women ' s ▁units , ▁the ▁military ▁at ▁first ▁decided ▁to ▁shift ▁them ▁into ▁auxili ary ▁roles ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁front , ▁such ▁as ▁guard ing ▁rail ro ads , ▁but ▁this ▁faced ▁opposition ▁from ▁men ▁in ▁those ▁positions ▁who ▁would ▁in ▁turn ▁be ▁sent ▁to ▁the ▁front . ▁Instead , ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁November ▁ 1 9 1 7 ,