WSPU 1903-14

Question 1

When did the NUWSS form?

Answer 1

1897

Question 2

When was WSPU formed and who by?

Answer 2

1903

Emmeline Pankhurst

Question 3

What were the tactics of WSPU?

Answer 3

• started off small organisation mostly wives of ILP supporters
• 1905 more militant inspired by Irish Home Rule
• disrupt meetings, demonstrations and heckling
• 1906 militancy increased-chaining to railings
• broke into HoC making speeches-arrests and imprisonment-increased public sympathy

Question 4

How was militancy views at first?

Answer 4

Initially increased and attracted a lot of support

Won publicity for campaign

Question 5

Explained the turning point in 1908?

Answer 5

Failure of peaceful forms of protest of NUWSS

Asquith ignored Hyde park meeting of 250,000 women demanding the vote encouraged WSPU to move towards violent tactics

Landslide lib victory 1906 caused them not to care about women’s suffrage more concerned with irish home rule

1909 window smashing started

1910 property destruction

1912 artwork destroyed and arson attacks

Question 6

What was the significance of hunger strikes?

Answer 6

WSPU imprisoned went on hunger strike-to combat this force feedings were introduced to prevent martyrs

Only increased public support

Question 7

What was the act that was introduced to combat hunger strike?

Answer 7

Cat and mouse act 1913

Once I’ll from hunger strike women would be released to get better then continued sentence

Demoralising to WSPU but not fully effective

Question 8

What was the impact of increased militancy?

Answer 8

• Gained publicity
• alienated non violent campaigners-NUWSS fawcett
• WSPU militancy undermined NUWSS idea of women as morally superior
• lost sympathy terrorism
• mans/women national anti-suffrage league 1908 against suffrage for women 97 branches
• divisions in WSPU over militancy
• post 1908 militancy was counterproductive

Question 9

How was the WSPU organised?

Answer 9

Central committee Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst as leaders based in London

Question 10

Outline WSPU support

Answer 10

Pre 1908 nuwss and WSPU part of same movement

Early militancy increased support due to public sympathy membership grew

Votes for women journal 1910 40,000 in circulation

Question 11

How did the change in WSPU base affect support?

Answer 11

Initially in Manchester largely composed of northern WC women with ILP connections

Changes WSPU social structure to wealthy MC women

Wealthier members meant more spent on campaigns and employed more staff

Suppression of past socialist views forced many to leave particularly with WC members

Created divide

Question 12

What was the relationship between labour and WSPU?

Answer 12

Relations strained
Labour feared women with vote would vote conservative
WC men disliked movement as wanted full male suffrage

Question 13

How would you describe the pankhursts leadership style?

Answer 13

Autocratic

Question 14

Who was christabel Pankhurst?

Answer 14

Central leader of WSPU
Enforced clear militant strategy from 1905
Recognised imprisonment valuable in securing public sympathy
Inspired arson

Question 15

What was the role of emmeline Pankhurst?

Answer 15

Attracted women to movement
Influential speaker
Found sympathy among female audiences-women and men not equal and women required specific consideration in the law

Question 16

What is evidence of WSPU shift to right?

Answer 16

Move away from ILP

Conservatives would introduce suffrage to increase electorate advantage over liberals

Question 17

What are some negatives of the pankhursts leadership?

Answer 17

Eager to run WSPU as an army using militant tactics, illegal protest and militaristic system of authority

Alienated members and caused splits

Unable to compromise or listen to other options-weakened movement

1907 due to undemocratic nature members left

Removed billington-greig from leadership when he suggested they should be more democratic

Question 18

What was the role of Sylvia Pankhurst?

Answer 18

Early WSPU supporter

Did not approve of increasing militancy after 1908 tried to moderate tactics but E&C refused

S remained close to Labour Party
Was a socialist and grew tired of WSPU movement away from socialism

Example of how E &C focused efforts on winning support for wealthy MC and upper class pragmatic easier to sell to parliament ignores WC

Left WSPU due to political differences and set up ELFS men and women

Question 19

What was the role of Emily Davison?

Answer 19

Joined WSPU in 1906
Violent campaigner often acted without WSPU instruction
(Eg of militancy due to individual autonomous militant protesters)

June 1913 killed by kings horse at Epsom derby
WSPU eager to make E a martyr lack of knowledge of intentions so used death as propaganda

Public funeral won public sympathy
E and C unable to control all members

Question 20

What was WSPUs position by 1914?

Answer 20

Much success and popularity but in precarious position

Leadership although autocratic was central and inspired women

Militancy initially effective in getting onto gov agenda but leadership lacked ideas over how influence gov to actually extend franchise

Undemocratic methods caused splits

Militancy brought question if f suffrage to forefront of GB politics but too much

C fled to france avoiding imprisonment, E weak due to force feeding

Lib gov repressive response to violence and C gone led to leadership as undetermined 1914

Question 21

What are the reasons for failure of women’s suffrage bill 1909?

Answer 21

1-lib rejected as feared it would add con votes to electorate and con refused as feared it would give liberals or labour more votes

2-personal opinion of PM Asquith-undermined all attempts to enfranchise women-disliked militancy-thought rapid change would damage politically stability-didn’t want to give into militancy-more concerned with irish home rule

Question 22

What happened in the conciliation bill 1910?

Answer 22

54 MPs drew up bill approved by cons and libs for limited women’s franchise (property owning £10+)

WSPU suspended militancy while HoC debated issue

Asquith opposed bill and took women’s suffrage off the agenda

Question 23

What happened to the conciliation bill 1911?

Answer 23

Opposed by Lloyd George fearing more cons voters

Bill refused again

Asquith promised support for this guaranteeing measure would have time to debate

Question 24

What happened to conciliation bill 1912?

Answer 24

Defeated due to WSPU militancy
Huge collapse in support
Alienated MPs
Violence turned opinion against women’s cause creating hostility and feeding prejudices made women appear irresponsible and too reckless with political rep

Asquith persuaded irish nationalist MPs to drop support for bill in order to secure legislation for irish home rule
Libs did not want to encourage violence

Question 25

What happened with the government franchise bill 1913?

Answer 25

New French use bill supported by liberals labour and cons debated

Extend vote to WC men and include women-suggested by Lloyd George to include WC

Asquith refused draft due to cons opposition

More violence followed damaging factor contributing to failure to gain vote before 1914
Increased opposition to female suffrage
Lloyd George increasingly displeased with WSPU

Question 26

What impact did the First World War have on female suffrage?

Answer 26

Provided chance for WSPU to seize initiative supporting gov in war effort

Anti German and campaigned hard for recruits to take over male roles in munitions eg

Caused rep of people bill 1918-had to extend franchise as many soldiers would not have qualified for vote due to residency issues as abroad

Asquith now supported female suffrage

Question 27

What was the effect of the rep of people bill 1918?

Answer 27

Enfranchised 13 million men and 8.4 million women

WSPU lacked flexibility between 1910 and 1913 but adapted quickly to challenge war presented