Source I implies war had more to do with gaining the vote than source H but still tells us why it was not only war. It says- ‘To say that the war brought votes for women is to make a very rough generalisation, yet one which contains some truth.’ Like source H, source I shows that the war was a catalyst, not a sole factor to help women gain the vote.
Source I is an extract from a history book called ‘Women at war, 1914-18’ written in 1980 and suggests that women gaining the vote was in sync with ‘other great social and political changes that were happening as a result of the war’. People’s views towards change had altered throughout the war and trade unionists were bringing workers rights to the news, women’s rights would not be forgotten with these.
Source J is part of a speech by Herbert Asquith in 1917 in the House of Commons. In the speech Asquith states bluntly ‘My opposition to women’s right to vote is well known’, showing his view towards women had not changed. It seems he is giving women the vote for two reasons; as a reward for war effort contribution, and to stop them continuing ‘that horrible campaign of violence.’. Source J suggests it was the work women did in the war and the suffragette’s campaign that got them the vote, it does not show any other thing that may have influenced the decision.
Throughout the war, the conditions which women worked in were dangerous. Many women began in munitions factories producing planes, ammunitions and weapons. A lot of women developed lung diseases and were unable to have children due to working conditions. But, women were still keen to work and many left their domestic roles to join the workforce. Women joined the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry and looked after wounded soldiers, the Women’s Royal Air Force was established and women in the countryside joined the Land Army. Women became drivers, mechanics, and found work in the airplane industry; some took jobs in banks and post offices.
Regardless of their efforts, women saw little change to their status. Men held strikes, claiming women were unskilled and could not take over male jobs and should go back to being housewives. The government signed agreements with Trade Unionists promising that as soon as war was over, women would lose their jobs. This shows once again most attitudes did not change during the war and did not have a great an impact on their role in society.
Prior to the war, suffragists and suffragettes campaigned to change the attitudes of men and women against women’s right to vote. Those in power did not see reason to give women the vote. Without support from the rest of the country and politicians, women could not gain the vote. Realising this is what turned the suffragettes to militant action. By maintaining the issue in the news through militant action, they made awareness that they would anything to get the vote. They cut communication wires, chained themselves to fences in public places such, burned politicians’ houses, threw stones at buildings and went on hunger strike during imprisonment. However, the suffragists had a different approach, meetings were held, posters and flyers were made. They tried every possible legal and peaceful way to gain the vote.
Post war, politicians took the threat of the suffragettes more seriously. This is another important factor, Asquith states in source I that a reasons that ‘some measure of women’s suffrage should be given’ is because they have not restarted their violent campaign. This shows that the campaign of suffragettes was effective and played a large part in gaining women the vote.
A further reason women would have eventually gained the vote is the increasing awareness of civil rights. In 1894 a petition for votes for women gained 250,000 signatures, and the House of Commons voted in favor women voting in 1897. This meant that the Conservative leader of the House of Commons, Arthur Balfour, had to admit the next reform of parliament would have to include votes for women. After this, many Married Women’s Property Rights acts were passed protecting women against theft by divorced husbands. They were allowed to sit on School Boards and Guardians of the poor. Later, the increased action within the Trade Unions meant that people became more aware of their rights. Protesting for better wages and hours was punishable as conspiracy under the common law until it became legal in 1906. With people becoming more aware of their rights, Parliament would not have been able to deny women the vote for much longer.
Another possible reason for women gaining the vote was the electoral register had to be re-written. This was due to so many men being overseas during the war that they had lost the right to vote and 20% of the register was illegible. Also, the WSPU and the NUWSS had links with other countries which already gave women the right to vote, for example Australia and the USA. Visitors from these countries gave speeches in Britain explaining why giving women the vote would be beneficial. For instance, if the gaining of women’s suffrage resulted in wage increase, then so would men’s.
In conclusion, I think it is all these aspects that earned women the vote. I believe the war was a catalyst because it altered public opinions and women gained more support from their country. The traditional views of most men changed, as they had proved capable of difficult work, and the introduction of women wearing trousers now made them more equal to men. The war led to changes in social and political attitudes but I think it was more than just the war that led to women getting the vote.