It was the work that women did during the war that earned them the vote. Use sources H, I and J and your own knowledge to explain whether you agree with this interpretation.

However, many people thought that women didn’t receive the vote for just helping out in the War effort, for example, source J states Herbert Asquith believed that ‘ For three years now the suffragettes have not restarted that horrible campaign of violence… some measure of women’s suffrage should be given’ who had lately opposed giving women the vote. People felt that the suffragettes should be rewarded for giving up their violent campaign. Another reason why women may have been given the vote was because the Government were scared that once the war ended the suffragettes would restart their violent campaign, as a result of this fear the Government gave in to them in order to stop the suffragettes restarting their campaign. Source I suggests that another reason why women gained the vote was because of the ‘ Great social and political changes that were happening as a result of the war’ for example, David Lloyd George, who replaced Herbert Asquith as Prime Minister was a supporter of women’s suffrage but not the use of violence in their campaigns. Which as a result of the stoppage of their violence earned them the support of David Lloyd George. Moreover the labour party had always supported women’s suffrage and had MP’s in the wartime government. Another social change that had an influence on why women gained the vote was that most men who had organise anti- suffrage groups were away at war and could have no control over what was going on at home which met that suffragettes could continue winning the support of many without any opposition. In addition, as a result of the War many people were now more open to new ideas, such as woman’s suffrage, which helped women win the vote. A different reason why women were given the vote was because of the statement given in source H, ‘ Politicians themselves agreed with the idea that the women who had brought up children successfully had performed a service for the government which could be rewarded by giving the vote to such loyal citizens’ This helped women earn the vote because it was something that many women did anyway which, as a result meant that a high percentage of women had the support of numerous politicians.

I conclude that it wasn’t just the work that women did during the War that earned them the vote. I think this because of the significance of all the other changes that happened during the war. (The halting of the violent campaigning and the social and political changes that had taken place as a result of the War.) Without these influencing factors I believe that women may not have gained the vote after all.