How important were the Suffragettes? A lot of debate over the importance of the Suffragettes. One argument is that they kept issue of women’s suffrage in the news. The suffragettes also gained high level of publicity and promoted greater awareness of women’s suffrage. However, because of their militant stance, the suffragettes may have alienated the public.

How important were the Suffragettes? Also the militant tactic adopted by the Suffragettes may have made the government more determined to not give in to terrorism. Yet at the same time, extreme militancy may have caused the government a lot of embarrassment because they could not control the situation.

How important were the Suffragettes? Historian Martin Pugh rejects the importance of the Suffragettes saying: Suffragette membership fell between 1910 – Suffragettes destroyed sympathy for women among MPs who had supported them. The Suffragettes were a small group whose self-publicity has lasted longer than their real importance.

How important were the Suffragettes? Suffragettes made serious planning mistakes by not linking with the Labour Party to increase democracy in UK. They ignored the thousands of working class men who still had no vote. Emmeline Pankhurst was willing to settle for granting the vote to some wealthy women rather than for all adults.

The Great War In 1914 the campaign took a back seat as Britain went to war. The NUWSS and WSPU immediately dropped their protests and threw themselves into the war effort. The WSPU started high profile campaigns to get men to join the army

The Great War The NUWSS work was less spectacular, but it used its organisation to help recruit women workers (and women into the armed forces) At the same time, the NUWSS kept the pressure on the government to acknowledge what women were doing for the war effort and reward them with the vote.