The Britannia first issue edited by Christabel Pankhurst 15 October 1915

CHRISTABEL PANKHURST (editor). Britannia. Official Organ of the Women’s Social and Political Union. No. 1, Vol. V. Friday, October 15, 1915.
 
London: Women’s Press, 1915.
 
Folio (370 x 260 mm). 12 pages, including final page order form. Large central illustration of Britannia to front page. Single horizontal fold as issued, with light toning and a few small marks, but overall a well-preserved copy of an inherently ephemeral newspaper. Very good.
 
The first issue under the title Britannia, marking the wartime continuation and rebranding of the WSPU newspaper The Suffragette under the editorship of Christabel Pankhurst. The retention of “Vol. V” reflects its continuity with the earlier publication, while “No. 1” denotes the beginning of this new series.
 
Issued during the First World War, the paper demonstrates the decisive shift of the WSPU leadership from pre-war militant suffrage campaigning to an explicitly patriotic and interventionist stance. The front-page slogan “For King, For Country, For Freedom” encapsulates this repositioning.
The issue is dominated by political commentary, including the prominent article “To Save the Country”, which calls for the resignation of senior government figures including Sir Edward Grey and Lord Robert Cecil, and advocates closer Allied coordination and more decisive wartime governance. Other articles address trade union policy, German nationalism, and the mobilisation of national resources. A rare survival.