Women in European History

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Women and Communal Strikes in the Crisis of 1917 - 1922 An interesting fact concerning the protests by working class in the period during and succeeding WWI was not initial demands for revolutionary change or worker’s rights, but instead forcing government to provide basic life necessities of food and shelter during times of rationing. Though there were differences in geography and outcomes, the goal was the same in demanding survival over social and economic change. The politicization of these movements did not occur until their male counterparts, who did hold memberships in unions and radical political groups, sympathized with their female equivalents and participated in these marches did violence or government crackdowns occur. It was because of politics that these women avoided the idea in order to elicit sympathy and avoid ferocious reprisals against them. The organization of these marches ties into the community structure of working-class women. Though these events seemed to occur at random, they shared a few common characteristics. The communities these women resided were usually near their or husbands/fathers/brothers/male companions workplaces and also government facilities. Another was the close bonds formed amongst them through interactions in work, markets, churches, and other public areas of gathering Whether it was babysitting for neighbors’ children or each other, working-class omen held more deeper solidarity than women of higher class standings. Though food shortages were frequent occurrences, when women sought to march for better access to feed themselves outside communities gave sympathy that they deserved these privileges. Men did form groups to gain attention on working-class rights and political reform; s... ... middle of paper ... ...d reintroducing traditionalistic female roles of motherhood and submissive attitudes towards men. Finally in connection with the textbook, it does mention the lives of women under Fascist Italy while for German women in the Nazi regime fails to mention their political contributions to the party and focuses only on Nazi economic policies that affected women. Works Cited Kaplan, Temma. "16 - Women and Communal Strikes in the Crisis of 1917 - 1922." Becoming Visible: Women in European History. Ed. Renate Bridenthal, Claudia Koonz, and Susan Mosher. Stuard. 2nd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. 428-49. Print. Koonz, Claudia. "19 - The Fascist Solution to the Women Question in Italy and Germany." Becoming Visible: Women in European History. Ed. Renate Bridenthal, Claudia Koonz, and Susan Mosher. Stuard. 2nd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. 498-533. Print.

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