Marie Curie’s Secret Weapon That Saved 1 Million Lives During WWI: 'The Petites Curies'

Berfin Ceren Meray
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Marie Curie is often remembered for her groundbreaking work in radioactivity and her two Nobel Prizes, but few know about her extraordinary contributions during World War I. Curie developed mobile X-ray units known as 'Petites Curies,' which revolutionized battlefield medicine and helped save over a million lives. 

Discover the untold story of how her scientific brilliance transformed war medicine!

When World War I broke out, Paris was under the threat of German invasion.

Daily life came to a halt, and scientific research was suspended. The French government moved to Bordeaux, and Marie Curie, safeguarding her most valuable possession—a gram of radium—deposited it in a lead box at a bank. However, instead of staying in Bordeaux, Curie returned to Paris. Eager to contribute to the war efforts, Curie purchased war bonds and even offered her two Nobel medals as a donation, but her offer was declined.

Instead, Marie Curie decided to bring science directly to the front lines.

At that time, X-rays were proving to be a significant aid for surgeons, but these machines were only available in large hospitals. Curie’s goal was to bring this vital technology to the battlefield. The project was not easy. Marie Curie was a researcher, not a doctor, and she had no knowledge of the clinical use of X-rays. She even had to learn how to drive a car.

With the support of the Union des Femmes de France and the Red Cross, Curie managed to equip the first mobile X-ray unit.

The vehicle was fitted with portable X-ray machines developed by Spanish inventor Mónico Sánchez Moreno. Curie integrated a dynamo into the vehicle’s engine to generate the necessary electricity. The vehicle was also equipped with a darkroom for developing photographic equipment and X-ray plates.

In 1914, the first mobile X-ray unit set out toward the Battle of Marne.

Over time, with the financial support of her friends, Curie managed to equip a total of 20 units. Additionally, with the help of her daughter, Irène Curie, she trained 150 women to operate these mobile X-ray units. Curie didn’t stop with the mobile units; she also established 200 stationary radiology centers to support the front-line hospitals. Thanks to these units and stationary centers, more than one million wounded soldiers had their lives saved.

Marie Curie’s mobile X-ray vehicles, which she named “Petites Curies,” were a great example of selfless sacrifice for humanity.

In the midst of war, Curie carried the light of science to the front lines, once again proving that the boundaries of science are limitless.