Study sources D & E and your own knowledge. Why despite the suffragette activities, had women not gained the vote by World War 1?
There were a number of reasons for women not gaining the vote by the outbreak of the First World War. There was a prevalence of traditional ideas regarding the role of women; the Liberal government of the period was on the whole opposed to votes for women, there were many pressing issues for the government to deal with and the most important factor was the response to the suffragette campaign.
The most important reason for women not getting the vote by the outbreak of the First World War was the response to the suffragette campaign. The suffragettes proclaimed themselves as irrational violent women. In source D Emmline Pankhurst Claimed “our campaign made women’s suffrage a mater of news” this was often for the wrong reasons. The suffragette campaign consisted of these militant tactics violent protests, arson, fire bombings, window braking, telephone wire cutting, use of chemicals, etc. The morning post published they did over £17, 200 of damage to 4 different buildings. This increased violence and militant tactics put of many people to vote for them as they said they would not give into violence.
