OCR GCSE Modern World History British Social History Revision Guide

1. British Social History
Can you name these key people?
Answers at the back!

2. British Social History
What do I need to know? The exam board expects you to know the answers to
these questions:
The Liberal Reforms
How were the social reformers
reacting to the social problems
of the 1890s?
Why did the Liberal Government
introduce reforms to help the
young, old and unemployed?
How effective were these
reforms?
Women’s Suffrage
What were the arguments for
and against female suffrage?
How effective were the activities
of the suffragists and the
suffragettes?
Why were some women given
the vote in 1918?
World War I
How were civilians affected by the
war?
How effective was government
propaganda during the war?
How did women contribute to the
war effort?
What was the attitude of the British
people at the end of the war towards
Germany and the Paris Peace
Conference?
Remember, whilst this is a
source paper, you will still
need to know quite a bit of
detail as every question will
rely on your own contextual
knowledge to get full marks!
Make sure you know the

3. The Liberal Reforms
Why did people start to care about the poor?
What was the problem?
The popular view in Britain was that if you were poor, it was probably your own fault. Poor people had a
reputation for being lazy and wasting money on non-essentials like alcohol and tobacco. This meant that richer
people were reluctant to get involved in helping them out. The Poor Law provided an escape route to those
unable to help themselves by offering them accommodation and work in workhouses. It was hoped, however,
that because the conditions in the workhouses were so terrible and accepting the offer of charity was so
shameful, only the most desperate would actually go. A lot of wealthy people were against the government
offering direct help to the poor as they viewed the government only as a ruling organisation - not one that gives
out money for free, e.g. a charity!
Charles Booth: 1889 onwards
Thought that the problem of
poverty was being exaggerated
and so decided to find out for
himself. He collected information
in London where he lived and
was shocked to find out that
actually studies into poverty had
been underestimating its scale.
As he started his studies looking
to show that the numbers
weren’t actually that bad, a lot of
people took his work very
seriously. He published 17
volumes of his study which
showed that around 30% of
Londoners lived below what he
called the poverty line which
means they cannot afford
clothing, food and
accommodation. His studies also
showed that laziness or
criminality only accounted for 1%
of London - so 29% of the poor
were honest poor people!
Crucially, his report concluded
that poverty was the result of low
wages, seasonal work (contracts
that only last for a certain
amount of time, e.g.
shipbuilding), trade depressions
(when demand for goods drop
off), old age or illness. The first
volume (of 17!) of his work was
published in 1889.
Raising Awareness...
Seebohm Rowntree: 1901
Was a committed social reformer
(someone who looks to change
the system to help out the poor).
Like Booth, Rowntree was
wealthy and, because of this, his
studies were taken seriously as
he would have nothing to gain
from arguing that more help
should be given to the poor. He
wrote Poverty: A study of Town
Life which was based on
research of the poor in his home
town of York. His findings were
shocking as York was not a big
industrial area like London with
big slums - instead it was a
respectable, average town.
Rowntree concluded that:
- 27% of the population lived
below the poverty line
- The causes of poverty were
unemployment (5%), death of the
wage earner (10%), illness or old
age of wage earner (5%), low
wages (22%), large family (52%)
and other reasons (6%)
This showed that poor people
generally weren’t to blame for
their poverty. Indeed, trade
cycles (changing demands for
products) impacted on whether
they got work or not.
John Galt (who??)
Not as famous as Booth and
Rowntree but he also played an
important role in raising
awareness of the problem of
poverty. A deeply religious man
and a keen amateur
photographer, he worked in East
London and helped the poor as
best he could. He used his photos
to show middle-class people the
lives of the working-class. He
used his images to show that the
majority of the poor lived
incredible hard lives and that
they were not sub-human
creatures (as some critics
described them). He also used his
images to show that, far from
being lazy, the poor worked
incredibly hard at poorly paid
jobs which often resulted in their
early death.

4. The Liberal Reforms
Why did the Liberal Government introduce reforms to help the young, old
and unemployed?
The Boer War (1899-1902)
When war broke out, half of the recruits were
not fit to fight due to their poor diet, which was
directly linked to their poor living conditions. In
some poor areas, this number increased to 69%!
The army had to reduce the minimum height
entry! This came as a great shock to politicians
who worried that if a great war was to break out
in Europe, Britain's chances of success would be
badly affected by unhealthy recruits. Something
would have to be done to ensure basic health
levels among the British people. The government
set up the Committee on Physical Deterioration.
New Liberalism
Before the 1900s, the Liberal Party believed in
the 'old liberalism' which limited the amount of
interference a government should make into
peoples lives. By 1906, however, a 'New
Liberalism' had emerged which was supported by
influential politicians such as David Lloyd George,
Winston Churchill and Herbert Asquith. They
argued that the government should interfere in
people's lives to help out those in desperate
need. Lloyd George was perhaps the most vocal
MP who pushed for the reforms.
Local reforms
Reforms had been occurring at local levels during
the late 1800s which were helping people in
particular cities. For example, the Liberal
councillor, Joseph Chamberlain had transformed
the public health of people in Birmingham with a
series of impressive reforms. For example, he
bought local water companies to oversee better
cleansing of the water supply which was
damaging health. This helped inspire similar
schemes at a national level (affecting everyone
in the country).
National Efficiency
Britain was one of the most powerful countries in
the world but others were catching up. The
United States and Germany were becoming
industrialised countries (by 1900 both had
overtaken Britain in industrial production) and
it was quickly becoming obvious that if Britain
was to be able to compete, it needed to be
efficient. To do this, it would need to ensure that
its workforce were fit and healthy to allow for
more products to be made in the factories which
could be sold for a profit. A poor and unhealthy
workforce was costing the country!
Political rivalry
By 1900, half of those who could vote in England
were working-class men. The Liberals main rivals,
the Conservatives had passed their own reforms
during their last government. The Labour Party
(set up in 1900) represented the poorest people
in society. This worried the Liberals that people
who usually voted for them, would turn to
Labour instead. To counter this threat, the
Liberals realised that they would have to
introduce social reforms or risk losing political
support from the working classes.
The German idea
The leader of Germany, Otto von Bismarck had
been making several important reforms in
Germany which greatly inspired Lloyd George
and Winston Churchill. Among them was an early
form of sickness insurance which meant that
workers would receive money if they suddenly
became ill. Germany's economic and military
strength was greatly increasing so other
European countries needed to adapt to keep up.
Bismarck was widely respected in Europe for
these reforms.

5. The Liberal Reforms
How were the social reformers reacting to the social problems of the 1890s?
Children
The Liberal Party came to power in 1906 and
started making changes immediately. The Free
School Meals Act (1906) allowed local authorities
to provide these to the poorest children so they’d
get at least one good meal a day. By 1914,
150,000 free meals were being served a day, 14
million in total! However, only half of the local
authorities agreed to do this - the act didn’t force
them. Free school medical inspections (1907) was
forced upon the local authorities although
treatment was not free until 1912. The Children
and Young Persons Act (1908) also known as the
Children’s Charter, was designed to protect
children and give them special status as protected
people. In the past, insurance companies gave out
money to parents if a child died, whether their
death was suspicious or not. This had to be
addressed. Children were now protected from
neglect, could not buy tobacco or fireworks, were
tried in children’s courts and sent to young
offenders institutes as called Borstals rather than
adult prisons. It also set the amount of hours
children were allowed to work.
The elderly
In 1908, David Lloyd George was the chancellor of
the exchequer (the man in charge of the
government’s money). He introduced the
government-funded (government pays for it) Old
Ages Pensions Act (1908). A person over the age
of 70 with no other income would receive 5
shillings per week. Married couples would receive
7s 6d. Anyone who had an income of over £31 a
year would not qualify for the state (government)
pension. Pensions were not new - you could pay a
sum of money into a private pension scheme
when you worked - but poor people couldn’t
afford to do this. Richer people did. Whilst the
money provided wasn’t great, its effect on the
elderly was enormous. The state pension made
them independent for the rest of their lives - they
wouldn’t have to rely on their children necessarily.
In the first year some 650,000 people collected
pensions, the number claiming outdoor poor relief
fell by 80,000. This was a big turning point in
British history for as it was funded by Direct
Taxation (in the People’s Budget). This was
controversial.
The Workers and Unemployed
The government firstly passed the Labour
Exchanges Act (1909), which tried to make it
easier for people to get jobs by putting them all
into one place. This should make job-hunting more
efficient. By 1914, there were 400 exchanges
filling a million jobs a year! The National Insurance
Act (1911), looked to help workers already in jobs
by providing sick pay. All workers earning less than
£160 a year had to sign up and pay 4d a week to
the scheme. The employer added 3d and the
government 2d. In return, the worker received up
to 26 weeks of sick pay a year at 10s a week. They
also received free medical care. The National
Insurance Act Part 2 (1912) went a step further to
help out people in seasonal (irregular jobs) such as
building, shipbuilding and engineering where
occasional unemployment was common. Workers
had to pay 2.5d, the employer 2.5d and the
government 1.75d into the scheme. During times
of unemployment the worker would receive 7s a
week for up to 15 weeks. This was only just
enough to keep a family going, which meant the
worker would have to look for work!
Reactions to the reforms
These reforms were incredibly controversial. The
Conservatives were dead against them, arguing
that they were too costly and they created a
‘nanny state’ in which the government looks after
its people like a nanny! Some workers resented
having to pay money out of their hard earnings
into schemes that they didn’t feel they needed,
particularly the National Insurance for sick pay.
The Labour Party agreed with the workers and
said that it should be taxes on the rich which pays
for the National Insurance Acts, not from
contributions from the poor. The wealthy were
also against the reforms. Lloyd George’s 1908
Budget, often nicknamed the “People’s Budget”,
demanded that money for the Pensions Act came
from the wealthy which the rich were dead
against. They argued that pensions would make
poor people lazy and discourage them for saving
for their futures like richer people did. Lloyd
George argued that the rich mostly inherited their
wealth and didn’t actually earn it, therefore they
should help pay for the reforms!

6. The Liberal Reforms
How effective were the reforms?
Reform For Against
Free school meals By 1914, 150,000 children getting a
good meal a day, 1 million a year!
Only half of the local authorities
agreed to the scheme - weren’t forced
to provide this for children.
Pensions Kept many people out of the
workhouse.
Only available for 500,000 elderly
(British total population = 45m). Had to
be over 70 (many of the very poor
didn’t make 70), and worked as much
as they could during their life.
Labour
Exchanges
By 1914, 400 exchanges filling 1m jobs
a year
Most of these were temporary or part-
time, the government did not actually
increase the number of jobs available.
National
Insurance
A vital safety net to help workers
during the hard times. Part 1 (sickness)
covered 10m men and 4m women.
Part 2 (unemployment) covered 2.25m
workers.
Part 1 (sickness) was restricted to
people who earned less than £160 a
year and only covered the wage-earner
(family could not receive free medical
care). Part 2 (unemployment) only
covered seasonal employment - e.g.
building, shipbuilding and engineering
Free Medical
Treatment
Literally a life-saver Only for wage-earner, not for their
family.
Most historians agree that the Liberal
Reforms were extremely significant.
They marked a change from past
attitudes. Here is how historian
professor Eric Hopkins described them
in 1979.
“an impressive body of social
legislation, the greatest ever passed by
any one government up to that time…
A radical new plan of campaign had
been developed to meet the most
urgent social needs of the working
classes.”
...now we want to go on living forever,
because we give them [his son’s
family] our pension and it pays them
to have us along with them. I never
thought we should be able to pay the
boy back for all his goodness to me
and the missus.
An old man talks about his pension, 1912
How can any sensible man regard the
situation [the introduction of
pensions] without dismay? The
strength of this kingdom has been its
wealth and the independent nature of
its people. The bill which is being
pushed through the House of
Commons [the Pensions Act] will
destroy both these strengths. It will
encourage people not to rely on their
own hard work and savings, but on the
state [government].
A letter to The Times
about the Old Age
Pensions Bill (1908)

7. Women’s Suffrage
What were the arguments for and against women getting the vote?
Parliament’s decisions affect
men and women, so women
should have the vote.
Some wealthy women pay tax-
es just like men. That money
pays for laws.
Propertied women can vote in
local elections (by 1900), can
serve on local government
bodies (1894 Parish Councils
Act). They have proved they
can be trusted with a vote.
Many uneducated men can
vote but educated women can-
not vote - fair?
By 1914, women can vote in
parts of the USA and
Australia, in New Zealand and
even in the Isle of Man. If
Britain is a proper democracy,
women should have a vote
Women were becoming
more and more involved in
politics, with tax payers being
able to vote in local elections,
and some women were
involved in campaigning for
better conditions in
workhouses, and Annie
Besant led a strike over pay
and conditions for match-
makers.
Giving respectful women
the vote will also encourage
them to develop their
careers and neglect their
children. Only the
undesirable classes will
have children.
Giving the vote to women
will mean giving the vote to
all men - including layabouts
and the riffraff!
Why worry about the vote?
There are far more pressing
concerns such as Ireland, the
trade unions (there were
strikes in 1910-12), and the
Liberal Reforms.
Women do not fight in wars
for their country. So they
should not have a say in
whether the country should go
to war or not.
Women are not rational. They
are too emotional to be trusted
with the vote.
It is mainly middle-
class women who are
campaigning for the
vote. They will have
little interest in laws
to help the working
class people.
Men and women have
different interests and
responsibilities ‘separate
spheres’. Women are home-
makers and mothers. It is
the role of men to debate
and make difficult decisions.
In the 1800s women were very much considered second-class citizens. However, most men and wom-
en probably thought that it was perfectly reasonable that women earned less than men, had fewer le-
gal rights, and lost even more of these rights when they married. However, some people did challenge
this view and campaigned passionately to provide women with more rights and ultimately try and se-
Many women did not want the vote. The Anti
-Suffrage League was created in 1908. A
postcard poll, of 200 postcards sent out, only
40 were returned by ladies wanting a vote.

8. Women’s Suffrage
How effective were the activities of the suffragists and the suffragettes?
Nickname Suffragists Suffragettes
Proper Name National Union of Women Suffrage
Societies (NUWSS)
Women’s Social and Political Union
(WPSU)
Created by Millicent Fawcett (1897) Emmeline Pankhurst (1903)
Tactics Peaceful - NUWSS almost spells WUSS Violent and Peaceful - WSPU almost
spells WASP which stings!
Other information Emmeline Pankhurst was in the suffragists but grew frustrated at the lack of
progress. Created the WSPU as an alternative, more radical group. NUWSS and
WSPU work together until 1908 when they split as NUWSS feel the WSPU
activities (e.g. being arrested) is making the government hostile to Women’s
Suffrage
Meetings and demonstrations
Both WSPU and NUWSS held many public
meetings. Demonstrations could get quite large
with 20,000 people or over. The NUWSS Women’s
Pilgrimage in 1913 was very successful with
thousands of women taking part and positive
coverage from the newspapers as it was peaceful.
Propaganda
Both WPSU and NUWSS were good at this. The
WSPU published newspaper called Votes for
Women which gave them greater publicity. By
1914, had a circulation of 40,000. Also had a range
of merchandise with their colours - purple, white
and green - including dolls, clothing and jewellery.
Putting pressure on Parliament
Most efforts had to be aimed at MPs as they had the
power to vote on the issue. NUWSS were keen
petitioners - a petition in 1910 supporting the
Conciliation Bill which offers women the right to vote.
Women met with MPs to try and sway them to support
their cause - women canvassed for pro-suffrage MPs.
The Concilliation Bill was dropped in 1910,
reintroduced in 1911 and dropped again in 1911.
Civil Disobedience
One argument was that, as you could only vote if
you paid taxes, those who couldn’t vote shouldn’t
have to pay taxes, so many women refused to pay.
Some also boycotted (refused to take part in) the
1911 census, saying that if they couldn’t vote they
wouldn’t be part of the official record of the day.
Attacking people
WPSU sometimes targeted people for attack - a doctor
who did not criticise force-feeding of female prisoners
was whipped. Women spat at policemen and in 1912,
Mary Leigh (a suffragette) threw an axe at the carriage
with Prime Minister Asquith in, which only narrowly
missed him! 1912 saw an increase in violence after the
failure of the Conciliation Bill again.
Attacking Property
The WSPU started window-smashing started in
response in 1908 when a proposed bill to allow
women the vote ran out of time in parliament.
Arson began in 1913 when Emily Davison planted
a bomb at Lloyd George’s house (odd as he
supported women’s right to vote). Also targeted
post boxes and galleries.
Hunger strikes
When arrested, the suffragettes expected to be treated as political prisoners not regular criminals. The advantage
of this is that you get extra privileges. However, the government refused so women went on hunger-strike, which
brought them sympathy from the public. Accounts of force-feeding were published in Votes for Women which
caused outrage and led to the Cat and Mouse Act.

9. Women’s Suffrage
How effective were the activities of the suffragists and the suffragettes?
Were we successful?
Some historians (e.g. Harold Smith and Sandra Holton) argue that the
suffragists were more effective than the suffragettes. By 1914, NUWSS
had 500 branches and around 100,000 members. It was far larger
than the WSPU. They used posters, leaflets and marches - some of
which were filmed. Film shows were very popular and would have
increased interest in their cause. In many respects, they got a lot of
respect because, whilst people heard about the issue due to the
WSPU, the NUWSS became popular as they were not using violence!
The suffragists were also good at rallying members of the political
parties to support them. Worryingly for Asquith, this included Labour
candidates who were competing with Liberals. That said, a lot of
suffragists felt that they could be easily ignored by MPs and the press
due to their tactics.
Suffragists
Suffragettes
Were we successful?
Undoubtedly brilliant propagandists - achieved maximum publicity for
their cause. The suffragette magazine Votes for Women had a
circulation of (sold) 40,000 copies. Also managed to get their message
on the packaging of a brand of bread! In 1908, they sailed a boat down
the Thames with their flags and posters on display past Parliament.
Their violent campaigns made it impossible to ignore the issue. When
they were roughly treated by the police, male opponents, and prison
guards, they gained sympathy. However, despite this sympathy as
individuals, it did not gain great support for their cause. Their
increasing use of violence from 1911 onwards turned people against
them. They weren’t massively popular - at their peak they only had
2,000 members. As it was mainly middle-class, by 1914 they were
mainly campaigning for votes for women with property rather than all
women! The government now couldn’t be seen to be giving in to
terrorism (if they did, it would encourage other groups to use violence
to get their way). From 1911 onwards, more and more MPs opposed
women getting the vote due to violence. WSPU membership was also
declining by 1914.
Shhh ladies, my turn! Most would agree that the suffragettes did a great deal of
work getting the issue in the newspapers and keeping people, including the
politicians, talking about it! However, some would argue that, had the
suffragettes not used violence, women may have gotten the vote eventually
through peaceful methods. Either way, some historians argue that, actually, it
was the women’s contribution in World War I that actually scored them the
right to vote!

10. World War I
How were civilians affected by the war?
Volunteering
Britain only had a small army of
250,000 and Lord Kitchener, the
Secretary of State for War told
the government he needed 1m.
Enthusiasm for war was high due
to patriotic speeches by MPs,
posters and the sense of
adventure. 500,000 volunteered
in the first month and by March
1916, 2.5m men had volunteered.
Pals Battalions were set up when
enthusiasm dropped where
friends could sign up together and
would be allowed to fight
alongside each other rather than
be split up. Orchestras, football
teams, bus depots all signed up
en masse!
Conscription
In 1915, as the death toll and
injury rates increased, getting
volunteers to get involved proved
more difficult. The Derby Scheme
was trialled in which men were
asked to promise that they would
fight if the government asked
them to. Less than half the men
of military age were willing to
make the promise. This showed
that voluntary service was no
longer an option. In Jan 1916, the
Conscription Act was passed in
which single men aged 18-41
would have to fight if called upon.
In April, this was extended to
married men as well.
Conscientious objectors
Some men argued that for
religious or humanitarian
reasons, they could not kill
another man. They had to
convince a tribunal that there
beliefs were honest ones. If they
succeeded, that could be sent to
do non-violent work such as
driving ambulances on the
frontline, or working in the
mines at home. If they refused
to have anything to do with the
war, they would be imprisoned
or sent to a labour camp. If they
went to war but refused to
follow orders, they could face a
court martial (military arrest)
and could ultimately be shot for
cowardice.
Rationing
DORA had introduced the ‘Land
Army’ to try and grow more food
in Britain as much of this came
from abroad. By April 1917,
German ships were sinking 1 in
4 merchant ships (carrying
supplies into Britain). Wages
barely increased during the war
but the price of food shot up as
there were shortages. In South
Wales, there were serious strikes
due to poverty-like conditions.
The government agreed to
increase wages and started
voluntary rationing in 1917,
backed by the royal family. By
1918, compulsory rationing of
sugar, butter, meat and beer was
introduced
Attacks on Britain
This was the first international
war that saw attacks on the
British mainland. In December
1914, German battleships
shelled Scarborough, Whitby,
and Hartlepool, killing 119 men,
women and children. In January
1915, huge German airships
called Zepplins began bombing
raids on Britain. Starting in Great
Yarmouth and Kings Lynn (East
Anglia), in total the Zepplins
made 57 raids of British towns
killing 564 people. In May 1917,
German Gotha bombers (planes)
raided Folkestone killing 95
people. In total, 27 bomber raids
on Britain resulted in 835 deaths
and 1990 injuries.
World War I was a total
war meaning that all
parts of society were
affected by the war
someway or another.

11. What did the Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) do?
On the 4th August 1914 Britain declared war on Germany. On the 8th August, parliament agreed to
the Defence of the Realm Act giving the government more power to interfere in people’s lives.
Controlling censorship
At the start of the war, the government was
very strict on what it would let newspapers
report. For example, no newspaper was allowed
to report the sinking of HMS Audacious. The
government decided that it would allow
specially-selected war reporters, (called
accredited correspondents) such as Philip Gibbs
and Herbert Russell, on the frontline who
would write reports for the newspapers home.
There reports had to be checked before they
could be published to make sure they weren’t
going to turn people against the war. Anti-war
newspapers such as the pacifist Tribunal were
closed down.
Controlling industry
The government was allowed to take over
companies that in DORA. Firstly, the
government took control of mining to make
sure coal could go directly to the factories.
Miners were protected from conscription to
ensure they could carry on their vital role. The
government took control of the railways as
they were vital to ensure troops could be
moved from training camps to barracks and to
ports when they shipped out to France.
Shipping was also taken over by the
government to make sure that replacement
merchant (trade) boats were being replaced - in
Spring 1917, Germans sank 3.7m tons of ships.
Controlling munitions
In April 1915, the Daily Mail published the
munitions crisis story. Recruits had to practise
with sticks as there were not enough rifles to go
around, artillery could not fire enough shells,
and some reports suggested that soldiers were
restricted in the amount of shots they could
fire a day. Lloyd George became minister of
munitions and the government took over
factories and forced munitions workers to stay
in their jobs rather than look for better paid
ones. This led to strikes and the government
had to increase wages. Lloyd George also
organised women into the factories but had to
promise soldiers would get their jobs back.
Controlling food
Government needed to deal with food supplies
as Britain imported 80% of its wheat. German
boats would stop this! DORA allowed the
government to take over land and turn it into
fields for farming. However, by 1917, German U
-boats were sinking 1 in 4 merchant (trade)
ships with supplies. By April 1917, Britain down
to just 9 weeks supply of wheat. In response the
government created the Women’s Land Army
to help grow more food. Shortages led to
higher prices and workers went on strike as they
could not afford these. The government
cheapened the price of bread but by 1918 had to
introduce rationing to deal with shortages.
Controlling propaganda
In the first year of the war, between 2-5m
copies of 110 different posters were printed,
mainly encouraging recruitment. None showed
the true horrors of war. Newspapers printed
cartoons showing Germans acting cruelly. In
1916, Britain used 4 official photographers and
artists to portray the war. 240 war films were
made between 1915-1918, most not even made
by the government, rather British film makers.
In August 1916, the government released the
graphic but popular film Battle of the Somme
which sold 20m tickets in two months.
Did the public support the war effort?
There was some anti-war feeling at the start of
the war. An anti-war leaflet called Common
Sense about the War (1914) sold 25,000 copies
though and Ramsay Macdonald, the Labour
leader, resigned in protest against the war. 50
Liberal MPs voted against conscription.
However, the vast majority of people supported
the war - of 8m people affected by
conscription, only 16,000 refused to fight.
Criticism against the army leaders after the
Battle of the Somme did not damage people’s
desire to see the job through and win the war.

12. How far did Women contribute to the war effort?
On the 4th August 1914 Britain declared war on Germany. On the 8th August, parliament agreed to
the Defence of the Realm Act giving the government more power to interfere in people’s lives.
We suffragists and the suffragettes stopped our campaigning and instead
focused on the war. We suffragists used our propaganda skills to create
posters encouraging men to fight and Emmeline Pankhurst organised a
march to get women into the factories. Right at the start of the war, all the
suffragettes were released from prison to help. The Order of the White
Feather was an organisation that arranged for men to receive white feathers
(sign of cowardice) for not signing up. The Mothers Union published posters
encouraging mothers to get their sons to sign up to fight.
By early 1916, Britain had up to 2m fewer workers than needed. We
quickly replaced men in offices and by 1918, there were 700,000
new female workers in offices.
We trade unions don’t want women in the factories. If women go in-
to the factories, the employers will pay them less wages than men. If
they then do a really good job, the soldiers who were fighting for our
country might well return home and lose their jobs to women! That is
unacceptable!
The Munitions Crisis made the government see sense. They needed
women in the factories so agreed to force the employers to pay the
women the same as men and allow the soldiers to keep their jobs once
they returned. Working in the munitions factories were dangerous
though. For example, in January 1917 there was an explosion at
Silvertown in East End London and the TNT caused illnesses!
Area of
work
Women in
1914
Women in
1918
Women
replacing
men
Metals 170,000 594,000 195,000
Chemicals 40,000 104,000 35,000
Food and
Drink
196,000 235,000 60,000
Timber 44,000 79,000 23,000
Transport 18,000 117,000 42,000
Govern-
ment
2,000 225,000 197,000
Women took on roles never previously open to
them - it was like a mini-revolution! Some 1.6m
women took part in war work. Their jobs ranged
from grave-digging, postal work, bus drivers and
even a Women’s Voluntary Police Service in the
bigger cities. All their work was changing
attitudes about women and their roles in society.
However, we shouldn’t get too carried away! For
example, in 1914 there were 5m women at work.
By then end of the war this figure rose to only
just over 6m. The Women’s Land Army only
recruited 16,000 women - most of the farming
in the country was done by female labourers
anyway

13. How to answer the questions
Below are some sample questions and information on how to go about answering them!
Rich Fare
The Giant Lloyd-
Gorgibuster:
Fee Fi Fo Fat,
I smell the blood of a
plutocrat,
Be he alive or be he dead,
I’ll grind his bones to
make
my bread.’
What is the message of this cartoon? Use details of the source and your own knowledge to explain
your answer [6 marks]
Remember:
 Message/purpose
 Source
 Contextual Knowledge
 Message reworded!
This triggered the production of this
cartoon which is saying(message) that
Lloyd George is unfairly targeting rich
people to pay for his liberal reforms.
It is seeking to persuade people that
Lloyd George is being unfair and that
they should not support this reform.
This is shown in the source as the artist has decided to
draw Lloyd George as the giant from Jack and the
Beanstalk is ready to use his club, labelled ‘budget’, to
smash up the rich plutocrat who hides on the floor.
When Lloyd George says “I’ll grind his bones to make
by bread”, his bread almost certainly refers to the
payouts the poor will receive from the Liberal Reforms.
Lloyd George received some criticism from
his 1909 Budget (nicknamed the People’s
Budget) as the wealthy argued that they
were being unfairly targeted in having to
fund the Old Age Pensions Act (through
direct taxation) which gave poor people
over the age of 70 a free pension.
So the message of this source is that
the rich are being forced to pay for
Lloyd George’s liberal reforms and the
artist clearly believes that this is wrong
by showing Lloyd George as a
threatening giant.

14. How to answer the questions...
Comparison questions
Comparison Questions
E.g.
Do you trust Source B or Source C more about the role of
propaganda in WWI? [8 marks]
Study Sources F and G.
Is one of these sources more useful than the other in
explaining why the Liberal Government passed the
Pensions Act [8 marks]
You need to evaluate each of the
sources to get full marks and answer
the question. You will need to
consider purpose, the tone or
language that the source uses, cross
reference to another source, or use
your own knowledge. The more of
these you consider, the better position
you will be in.
Who was the author of the source and
what was their purpose? Always look at
the italics before you read the source -
this will help you discover the purpose.
Was it a rallying speech at a public
event - in which case the purpose of
the speech might be to persuade
people rather than tell the full facts.
Was it a private memo? It should be
more trustworthy if the author didn’t
expect the public to read it.
What tone or language is the author using?
This will affect the usefulness and reliability
of a source. For example, a WWI
recruitment poster might use emotionally-
charged words to describe the enemy e.g.
Barbarians, murderers, butchers, evil to
demonise them and encourage people to
sign up to deal with them. Bare in mind that
propaganda is usually crammed emotive and
persuasive language to try and convince
people of their message.
Use own knowledge to help you to evaluate
the purpose of the source as well as the
similarities/differences if that is in the
question. Think about why this source was
produced at this particular time—which
event would have triggered it? Remember
that you need to be as specific as possible
when using own knowledge to support your
evaluation. The sequence of events is key—
remember those big timelines?!!

15. How to answer the questions...
Purpose
Why was this source published in 1917? Use details of the source and your own knowledge to explain
your answer [6 marks]
This source is not asking what the
message is so you don’t need to worry
about that! Instead the question is
asking - why was this published in 1917 -
so you need to explain the purpose of
it!
Remember:
 Purpose
 Source
 Contextual Knowledge
 Purpose reworded
The source was published to try
and convince women to join the
Women’s Land Army and help
grow food for Britain.
This is shown in the source by a women working on the
farm ploughing up ground in which wheat can be sown.
The “God speed” of the poster is blessing the women
who help grow food for Britain. At the bottom of the
poster it directs you your “nearest post office” for sign
up sheets. The rising sun in the background suggests
that this is a new dawn for women by taking on more
roles to help in the war effort.
Before the war, Britain imported 80% of her wheat. By 1917,
German U-boats were sinking 1 in 4 British merchant ships
with supplies such as food on. By April 1917 Britain only had
enough wheat to survive for 9 weeks. It needed women to go
into the countryside to help grow food so that Britain
became less reliant on imports from overseas. 16,000 women
joined.
This poster was published in 1917 as
increased German U-boat attacks
meant that the government
needed to convince more women
to join the Women’s Land Army
to grow more food.

16. How to answer the questions...
The Final Question
Final Question
‘Women were respected in the period 1890-1918.’ How far
do you agree with this interpretation? Use your knowledge
of British society 1890–1918 and the sources to explain
your answer [16 marks]
Top tips to plan a good answer:
Read the question carefully.
• The exam board wants you to explain how an attitude has changed over time – therefore
consider what they want you to say has changed…
• What the thoughts about this were at the beginning of the period?
• What were they like at the end of the period?
• Consider whether there has been change throughout the period – Clearly there will be
some changes, and these will be highlighted by the sources
• What contextual (own) knowledge supports each argument?
• Attach some of the sources to each argument – remember this is not the central part of
the answer; it is not as important as contextual knowledge.
• Evaluation of provenance is not as important as in the previous papers – focus is on use
of contextual knowledge.
• Reach a firm conclusion based up contextual knowledge:
• Has the factor in the question changed over time?
This is a bit different
to the rest of the
paper—think 10
mark question whilst
using the sources as
well. This will need
careful planning,
follow the advice and
guidance below—this
is key!
On the next page are some example answers from the exam board using the sample paper
which you all have a copy of. You will quickly see the importance of contextual (own)
knowledge and the way in which to structure and answer (think 10 mark question). This
should be very straightforward for you, just make sure that you are clear on what the question
is asking…!

17. Example answers
Level 6 (15–16 marks) Candidates demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the position
of women in the period 1890–1918 to produce a fully developed response that evaluates effectively the interpretation.
They make sophisticated use of a range of sources to support their response and demonstrate thorough understanding
of the past through explanation and analysis of the relevant key concepts, and features of the period to justify a valid
conclusion. Written work is legible and spelling, grammar and punctuation are accurate. Meaning is communicated
very clearly.
I partially agree with this interpretation, however at the beginning of the period, women were not really respected.
Very few were properly educated and they did the most mundane and low paid jobs. This is why the women in
Source A wanted the vote to improve their pay and conditions. Many people believed in separate spheres, where
women should not bother themselves with politics or important issues. Their job was to look after the family. It was
believed that women were more prone to hysteria and acting childishly, and were incapable of logical thought.
Later, when Suffragettes started their campaign, many of these views of women were reinforced. When Suffragettes
burnt down buildings or smashed windows, this was regarded as proof that they were irrational. Men argued that
there was no point giving them the vote if they were incapable of understanding political issues as shown in Source
C.
Many of these attitudes changed during the First World War. Both the Suffragettes and the Suffragists stopped their
campaign and instead helped the country in the war effort. Women worked in munitions factories as shown in Source
D. Source F tells us that women were leaping out of bed at 5:15 in the morning because they were so keen to
contribute to the war effort. Some women joined the Women’s Land Army and helped to produce food for the
country, while others worked as nurses, mechanics and drivers.
Many men were really impressed by women’s contribution to the war effort. They had shown themselves to be
sensible and hard working and capable of doing jobs that previously had been thought of as only jobs that men could
do. This earned women a lot of respect and explains why they gained the vote in 1918. Overall, women were far more
respected at the end of the period than at the beginning and so the interpretation is only partially correct.
Answers for front page: PM Herbert Asquith, Milicent Fawcett, John Bull (symbol for Britain), Lord Kitchener (Minister of War), Charles Booth,
Emmeline Pankhurst, Emily Davison, General Haig, David Lloyd George.
Level 4 (9–11 marks) Candidates demonstrate sound knowledge and understanding of the position of women
in the period 1890–1918 to produce a developed response that either effectively supports or challenges the
interpretation. They make sound use of several of the sources to support their response and demonstrate
understanding of the past through explanation and analysis of some relevant key concepts, and features to reach a
conclusion. Written work is legible and spelling, grammar and punctuation are mostly accurate. Meaning is
communicated clearly.
I think this interpretation is wrong because women were not respected in this period. Even when women finally got
the vote in 1918 many men were opposed to it. Women suffered discrimination in areas like work. This is shown in
Source A where the women complain that they are competing with men but only men have a vote about issues like
pay and conditions and so their standing is lowered. This obviously agrees with the statement. So does the fact that
most of the workers in sweated trades were women – they got the lowest pay and the worst conditions. Source B also
shows that women were not respected. They were not treated equally in areas like marriage and divorce. As Source B
says any section of the population which does not have the vote is not treated fairly. Even as late as 1916 Source C
shows that some men opposed women getting the vote. The man in the factory talks about women getting the vote as
being a load of ‘cackle’ which is very disrespectful. Even when women got the vote in 1918 some men in Parliament,
like Lord Birkenhead, said it was a disaster. There were many other areas where women were not shown respect.
When Suffragettes started campaigning for the vote the papers made fun of them and published cartoons and posters
which showed them as ugly and stupid. Many MPs opposed women’s suffrage as well, particularly the Conservatives
but also the Liberal Prime Minister Asquith.
This should give you a good idea of what you need to do. You need to be achieving at least a level 4 in this
question to be gaining your target grade.