'Without the First World War British women would not have gained the right to vote in 1918.' Do you agree or disagree with this interpretation? Explain your answer using the sources and knowledge from your studies.
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Introduction
'Without the First World War British women would not have gained the right to vote in 1918.' Do you agree or disagree with this interpretation? Explain your answer using the sources and knowledge from your studies. By 1918 most women had stopped working in their homes and doing domestic work. Instead most of them were working in factories and helping with the war effort. 1918 was the year that war was over. The country was coming back to normal apart from one major change, which is still here today. In this year British women over 30 got the vote. I feel that the war was turning point for women being able to vote. Without it happening then the women would eventually have got the vote but possibly not in 1918. Even though the vote was given in 1918, women were likely to get the vote anyway. This is because after years of women's suffrage groups campaigning they were likely to get it anyway. ...read more.
Middle
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. ...read more.
Conclusion
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. ?? ?? ?? ?? ...read more.
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