2) Source I tells us a lot about the impact of the war on women’s status. The Source tells us about how the women were able to demonstrate their claim to equality with men, and how they took on many of the jobs that usually the men would have had, such as tram conductors, railway porters, chimney sweeps, coal merchants and postwomen. Also, it tells us how the women joined the army, and set up a Land Army and enrolled volunteers to work on the farms. It then tells us about the dangers the women faced in the factories, yet they still continued to work there, and that the role of women was no more to be despised. It then says how as a tribute to the great sacrifices they made, the right to vote was given to women over thirty, and soon all women over twenty-one earned this privilege. From my own knowledge, I know that the women did do a lot of dangerous work, such as in the munitions factories where they often suffered terribly, and some women became infertile and their skin turned yellow. I also know it is true that they did achieve the right to vote shortly after the war, and that they took on many of the jobs men would usually have done.
However, this Source has some weaknesses. The Source is taken from a book for use in British schools, and so some of the information in the book may have been simplified or cut down so that it was easier for the children to understand. Therefore it may not be telling us the complete truth as some of the information may be altered. This can be seen in many instances. I know that women did not get the vote just because of their efforts during the war; it was also partly due to the tireless campaigns of the suffragettes, a group of women who had driven for equal voting rights between men and women. And not all women got the vote straight away; it took until 1928 for all women over 21 to get the vote. Also, I know that although during the war many women took on the jobs that the men would usually have done, after the war the women were expected to give way to men returning from the forces and to return to pre-war ‘women’s work.’ The assumption that ‘a woman’s place is in the home’ returned, and the percentage of women at work returned to pre-war levels. Therefore, we cannot believe that all the information in Source I is accurate.
3) In this selection, many of the sources suggest that the First World War transformed the status of women in British society. The sources that suggest this are Source A, Source B, Source C, Source D, Source E, Source H, Source I and Source J. Many sources also suggest that women were united in a common cause and that the efforts of women were recognised. The sources which suggest this are Sources A, B, C, I and J. Source A tells us that all women were demanding the right to serve and that it was historic in the way that for the first time that women had demonstrated their undivided spirit. Source B shows us how men and women were united in a common cause, and that the efforts of the women were recognised as being just as important as a contribution to the war effort as the men’s contribution. Source C tells us how the role of women had changed from the old “for men must work and women must weep.” Women had proved successfully that they could do her share in times of crisis and that her contribution to the war effort was equally as vital as the men’s contribution. Source I tells us how women had demonstrated practically their claim to equality with men, as they took on all the jobs that men had done in the past, and even set up their own Land Army. It goes on to tell us how even through danger and very risky hazards, the women continued to work in the munitions factories, and that now the role of women was no longer to be despised as their efforts and transformed their roles in society. Source J, ‘The Duchess of Duke Street,’ shows us how women of all classes united to help to war work, such as holding buffets for soldiers. In this instance, the women converted houses into hospitals for the sick. This demonstrates how the women were united in a common cause and how they put in lots of effort in aid of the war cause.
However, we have to question the reliability of these sources. Source A is taken from The Daily Chronicle newspaper, from the 19th July 1915. At this time in the war, the British Government had put newspaper censorship into operation, which meant that the government had complete control over everything that the newspapers wrote. Therefore, in this instance, the government may have altered the real information about women joining the war effort, and so the section of text we see may just be propaganda to encourage more women to support the war effort. Source B is the front cover of the War Worker magazine, from June 1917. At this time, magazines were also under government control and censorship rules, and so again, we cannot be sure of the reliability of this source. It may have been designed to encourage women to join the war effort, and to persuade women to take up jobs in the factories. It may have also been used to make women see themselves united with their men in a struggle against a common enemy. Source C is a section of text taken from The War Illustrate magazine, from 24th April 1915. Again, this is from a magazine, and so censorship may have taken place, and the text from this passage may not have been a true reflection of the efforts made by women at the time. Source I is from World War One, a book written for use in British schools. This fact is significant as if the book is for use in British schools, it is inevitable that some of the information would have had to been simplified in order for the children to understand it. Therefore, we have to question the reliability of this source as some of the information may have been altered in order for children to understand what was going on. Source J is The Duchess of Duke Street, a popular drama in the 1970’s. Primarily, the show was designed to bring in as many viewers as it could and to provide entertainment for the viewers, and as a result it is possible that some of the information may have suffered as a consequence. The program is based more around costumes and drama rather than historical fact, and this could again affect its reliability. However, the information that it does contain should be accurate as the credits at the end of the program show that the Imperial War Museum gave help and advice to the program. So we can believe that the content in the program is accurate.
Some of the sources in the selection give us a more complicated picture into the transformation of the status of women in British society. The sources that suggest that the status of women was not transformed as a result of World War 1 are Source F, Source G and Source H. Source F describes male attitudes to women workers during the war. It tells us how attitudes towards women workers remained negative in many instances, and how they threatened men’s positions in the short and long term. Employers would often not keep their promises to restore men to their former positions, as women were cheaper to employ. It finally tells us how in some extreme cases, the women were victims of hostility and even sabotage. Source G describes the refusal to give female doctors equal rank with male doctors in the armed forces. It tells us how even though the ability of women doctors had been proved – and how there was no excuse for continuing discrimination against them – men and women were still not given equal military status. It also goes on to explain how Winston Churchill said that it was impossible to give women equal status with men since there were duties that they were not capable of undertaking, including service in the trenches. Source H is a table showing the employment of women in industry between 1914 and 1918. It shows that although in some instances like Metals and Government Establishments there was a big increase in women employed, in some instances such as Textiles and Clothing there were some decreases in the number of women employed. And in 1914, the percentage of female in the total workforce was 36%; whilst at the end of the war in 1918 the percentage was 37% - a 1% increase. This shows how although some of the numbers of women working in the different trades increased; the overall picture shows that the increase for females in total was very minimal. This is probably because as the men returned home, they forced the women out of the jobs and they returned back to their pre-war work, if any.
As a result of the war, the role of women had certainly changed; but how much it had changed is often a disputed topic. Women had successfully shown they were able to rise up to the challenge and demonstrated effectively their claim to equality with men. From my own knowledge I know that after the war, the culture and fashion for women changed dramatically. Shorter skirts and shorter hair became fashionable, women went out with men without a chaperone. Also, women smoked and wore make-up in public for the first time. Also, women took big steps in the political sense. In 1919, a law was passed which meant that being female or married was no longer allowed to disqualify someone from holding a job in the professions or civil service. In 1923, a law was passed which meant women were given the same right as men to seek divorce on the grounds of adultery. In 1923 and 1925 the Property Acts allowed married women to hold and dispose of property on the same terms as their husbands. Again in 1925 widows and dependant children were entitled to pension benefits, and finally in 1928 all women over 21 were allowed to vote. However, in work the transformation of women’s status was not so apparent. Women were expected to give way to men returning from the forces and to return to pre-war ‘women’s work’. The assumption that ‘a woman’s place is in the home’ returned. The percentage of women at work returned to pre-war levels, although more women worked in offices than ever before.
In conclusion, I believe that Sources A to J do not prove that the First World War transformed the status of women in British society. I believe that the sources are too unreliable, and we have to question whether we can trust the information they give. My own knowledge supports the sources that don’t believe that the status of women was transformed, and my own knowledge disagrees with the sources that believe that the status of women was transformed. Therefore, I have to believe that Sources A to J do not prove that the First World War transformed the status of women in British society.
Bibliography
Britain At War 1914-1919 – Craig Mair
Mastering Modern World History – Norman Lowe
History of World War One – A.J.P. Taylor
BBC History videos – Richard Holmes
The Twentieth Century – C.Hopkinson
Britain And The First World War
www.bbc.co.uk/gcsebitesize
www.pro.gov.uk/pathways/firstworldwar
