What were the strategies used by the government to suppress the Suffragette Movement?

History The Suffragette Movement Questions



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What were the strategies used by the government to suppress the Suffragette Movement?

The government used several strategies to suppress the Suffragette Movement. These included:

1. Repression and violence: The government employed physical force and violence against suffragettes, including arrests, imprisonment, and force-feeding of those on hunger strikes.

2. Surveillance and infiltration: The government closely monitored suffragette activities, infiltrating their organizations and gathering intelligence to disrupt their plans.

3. Propaganda and public opinion manipulation: The government used media outlets to portray suffragettes as radical and dangerous, aiming to turn public opinion against them.

4. Legal restrictions: The government introduced laws and regulations to limit suffragette activities, such as the Cat and Mouse Act, which allowed for the release and re-arrest of hunger-striking suffragettes.

5. Discrediting and marginalization: The government attempted to discredit suffragettes by labeling them as unfeminine, irrational, and a threat to social order, thereby marginalizing their cause.

Overall, the government's strategies aimed to undermine the suffragette movement, suppress their demands for women's suffrage, and maintain the existing power structure.