Despite leading an attempt to break into Buckingham Palace and present a petition to the king in June 1914, Emmeline Pankhurst put an end to the militant WSPU campaign upon the declaration of WWI. Four years later in 1918, women over 30 were granted the vote as part of the Representation of the People Act. This essay will explore the different influences on this government decision and consider the influence of the war effort.

As a response to the end of the militant campaigning, more than 1000 suffragette protesters were released from prison. Many of these women went on to support the war effort. One of the earliest war effort campaigns was led by Queen Mary, who encouraged women nationwide to knit scarves and socks for the troops. The war effort was taken more seriously after the `Great Shell Shortage' when the army in France ran out of ammunition and the panic-stricken...