Even though there was a major campaign, which happened before the war, the change in government would have been a major factor in women over 30 getting the vote in 1918.
In 1916 Lloyd George replaced Asquith as Prime Minister. Lloyd George was a Liberal. Asquith, a conservative was against women getting the vote. Another conservative, Lord Curzon explains in source c that women do no have the experience to vote. He also suggests that when war happens women can’t fight. However this was said before the war so Lord Curzon did not realise how much the women would help when it came down to it. This is relevant to the argument as the change in Prime Ministers is what I feel a major point and is one that should not be forgotten about when discussing women getting the vote in 1918.
Even if Lloyd George did help to get women the vote, he only got it for women over 30. This means that most of those who helped in the war effort were still unable to vote.
Without the First World War British women would not have gained the right to vote in 1918. In the statement the word women look as though it refers to all women starting at the same age as men. However this is incorrect as women only got it over the age 30. Those over 21 didn’t get the vote till 1928. Whoever the woman was and however much they helped the country didn’t matter. If you look at source B then you can see that a nurse may have saved a life and not got the vote yet a man unfit for service who has not helped the war effort still have the chance to vote.
During the war, women were seen as stronger figures then they were before. This is because they were able to do the jobs which men had done before they went to war. As well as showing the strength of the women it also gave them confidence. Confidence as they have been able to show there abilities and also confidence in the working world showing that they are capable of doing the same things of men but to a better standard. When women had confidence to do things it showed their capability in doing things like men. This is how the idea of equality came about. Source D shows the equality. On the cover of the war worker magazine it shows a man and a women holding up the British flag showing that they both have national pride. This shows they are both as important for helping the country fight the war.
Another effect that happened during the war was that Pankhurst who had been working against the government was now working with them. This is because both Emmeline Pankhurst and the Government were both working to save the country and for the well being of it.
As well as them fighting, there are other reasons why women may have got the vote. These were brought on because of the war and I believe did affect women getting the vote.
The war was a deciding vote as women were appreciated a lot more after the war as they had helped the country get through this time. As Constance Rover who was a member of women suffrage and Party Politics in Britain stated “As we might say today, women’s ‘public image’ changed and improved.’
From the appreciation to those who were not as appreciative were those men who did not want to conscribe.
that women workers got lots of negative comments. It critises the point that women got appreciated. This causes conflict in the argument, as the writer of Source E is a Historian so it is likely to be a view, which is well researched.
’Attitudes to women workers remained, in many cases, negative. The ability of women to take on that had been men’s work meant that increasing numbers of males were vulnerable to conscription. Some women doing skilled work had the full co-operation of male employees. Many other women were restricted to less skilled work and were victims of hostility and even of sabotage.’ This is source E, As you look at it you can see that women workers got lots of negative comments. It critises the point that women got appreciated. This causes conflict in the argument, as the writer of Source E is a Historian called Rex Pope from War and Society in Britain so it is likely to be a view, which is well researched.
To conclude, as you can see from my argument, I feel that women would have got the whether the First World War happened or not. However I feel that it was a trigger and caused them to get the vote quicker then they would have. However, although I have this view many people don’t and are entitle to there own decision. I think however that this is the one to follow, as I believe without World War 1 it would have happened in a year to follow 1918, not as early.
