20th Century Conflicts: One Page Handout
Haley Bates
Conflict: WWII
Topic: Women’s Role in Society
Argument: Women’s role in society was the most important effect of WWII because it allowed
women to gain some equality with women. If men had not been sent to war, then women would
not have had the opportunity to step up and play a stronger role in their communities.
Key Passages:
1.
Secondary Source
Britain-
“In February 1918 women over the age of 30 received the right to vote. In 1928
suffrage rights were equalized for men and women.”
Finland“Nursing, air raid signaling, hospitalization, rationing”
Poland“Took part in the actual combat”
Germany“Auxiliary units in the navy, army and air force”
“Hundreds of female Nazi’s were executed for war crimes at the end of the war”
Norway“Women have been serving in the military since 1938”
“Women were allowed to serve in any branch desired, including direct
involvement in combat. Many women were involved in the resistance movement
against Germany”
Soviet Union-“Women as machine gunners, medics, political officers, tank drivers and
communication personnel”
“Women as snipers”
“First nation to allow female pilots”
“Women as aviators”
Effects“Female involvement in the military, especially in live combat helped progress
women’s rights significantly”
“Prior to World War II, there were very few women actually involved in
combat”
“By the end of the war women proved that they were highly capable of fulfilling
combative positions”
“Different countries allowed varying degrees of female involvement in the
military.
-Soviet Union had the greatest amount of female military involvement
-In the majority of countries women lead resistance movements”
“Lead to greater rights for women, and in many countries, namely France,
universal suffrage for the first time”
Pojer, Susan M. “European Women in WWII.” 27 August 2010. Online Powerpoint.
Powerpointpalooza.net. 15 March 2011. <http://www.powerpointpalooza.net>.
2. Primary Source
22 March 2011. <http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~pv/pv/courses/posters/posters7.html>.
3. Secondary Source
“Most women worked as military nurses”
“A total of 83 women spent 3 years as prisoners of war”
N.p.,n.d. Web. 22 March 2011. <http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/femvets5.htm>.
4. Secondary Source
“Before the Second World War, women were expected to be 'housewives' or perhaps to
do certain 'women's jobs', such as nursing or being a domestic servant or shop assistant.
The war changed the world of work for women for ever. When men went to fight,
women were called upon to fill their jobs, and this included many jobs that were
previously thought of unsuitable for women.”
Jobs undertaken by women during the war included:
 mechanics
 engineers
 Tank drivers
 Building ships
 Working in factories - making bombs and aircraft parts
 Air raid wardens
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Driving fire engines
Plumbers
Ambulance drivers
WRVS volunteers
Nurses
“Women were required by the government to work.”
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640,000 in the armed forces;
55,000 serving with guns and providing essential air defence;
80,000 thousand in the Land Army;
plus many more who flew unarmed aircraft, drove ambulances, worked as nurses
and worked behind enemy lines in the European resistance.
“As the prospect of war became increasingly likely, the government wanted to increase
the amount of food grown within Britain. In order to grow more food, more help was
needed on the farms and so the government started the Women's Land Army.”
“The girls of the land army looked after animals, ploughed the fields, dug up potatoes,
harvested the crops, killed the rats, dug and hoed for 48 hours a week in the winter and
50 hours a week in the summer.”
“The women earned £1,85 for a working week with a minimum of 50 hours. In 1944
the wages were increased to £2.85.”
N.p.,n.d. Web. 22 March 2011. <http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/war/women.htm>.