On The First World War British Women's Liberation Movement

Before the First World War, British women have obtained the chance to work and gained the right to vote and to be educated through their countless efforts towards the emancipation of women, however, they couldn't fully set themselves free from the masculine control. As the development of British Industry Revolution, large numbers of women were employed, turning from the traditional housewives into independent social workers. Industrial Revolution in Britain paved the way for the emancipation of women, which was the beginning of the women's liberation. In spite of that, the women's emancipation movement still developed quite slowly before the War.The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 had great impact upon the economy, politics and social life of all the countries in the world, including Britain, one of the major countries taking part in the War. Increasing numbers of women were drawn into social work to fill the gaps created by the armed forces. The great expansion of female employment, on the one hand, helped women to take part in the management of the civil service; on the other hand, they had to deal with many things outside home during the War, and they manifested their extraordinary ability in various fields, Women's devotion contributed a lot to the final victory of Britain during the War.Based on the study of the change of women's status during the First World War and the development of women's emancipation, this thesis has drawn the conclusion that the War has pushed forward the movement towards the women's emancipation, and illustrated that international factors, especially modern War, as a special way of comniunication, plays a very important role in social changes.