World War One

Question 1

Topic sentence

Answer 1

Finally, many historians argue that WW1 helped aid the growth of democracy.

Question 2

Evidence 1

Answer 2

Women proved vital to war work in a whole range of occupations to replace men which had been conscripted into the armed forces.

Question 3

Analysis 1

Answer 3

This increased democracy in Britain as wartime work demonstrated women’s ability to undertake employment from which they had hitherto been excluded from. It proved that women were hard working and trustworthy of the vote, which many historians argue contributed to them gaining the vote later on.

Question 4

Evidence 2

Answer 4

Furthermore, in 1918 towards the end of the war the Representation of the People’s Act was passed which enfranchised all men over the age of 21 and women over the age of 30.

Question 5

Analysis 2

Answer 5

This increased democracy in Britain as many historians believe the the Representation of the People’s Act was passed in 1918 due to working class men who fought in the war as it was impossible to understand how they could be expected to fight and die for the King and country but were denied the right to vote.

Question 6

Counter Analysis

Answer 6

However, it could be argued that legislation was passed before the war which was successful in making Britain more democratic e.g. the Third Reform Act 1884 which increased the electorate to 5 million.

Question 7

Evaluation

Answer 7

To evaluate whilst the Great War can be seen as important to establishing universal suffrage it can’t be considered the most significant factor in explaining the democratisation of Britain. As historian Martian Pugh argues, the Great War was merely a catalyst speeding up the process since Reforming legislation had already been well under way in the decades prior to this. Indeed, Industrial and urbanisation was the most important reason because it caused the population to grow stronger and expand in size.