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The Spanish Flu was one of the deadliest diseases in history. It was caused by the H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. It spread during the WW1, more specifically 1918-1919, and it affected the war in a significant way.

The H1N1 Virus:

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Why was it called the Spanish Influenza?

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Why was it called the Spanish Influenza?

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Spain was one of the countries that stayed neutral during the First World War. Countries from the Allied Powers and Central Powers wanted to suppress the news of this deadly disease because they wanted to keep the enthusiasm and discipline in soldiers. As a neutral country, Spain was informing its citizens on the flu in detail. News of the sickness spread very quickly after the death of Spanish King Alfonso XII.

The H1N1 Virus:

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Why was it called the Spanish Influenza?

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Why was it called the Spanish Influenza?

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Other nations were experiencing a blackout meaning that they could get information about the flu only from depth reports. That's why they thought that it came from Spain, while Spanish believed it came from France.

Newspaper page about the flu:

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When the Flu spread and reached epic proportions in the fall of 1918, people started to call it "Spanish Flu" and "Spanish Lady" in both Europe and the USA. The majority of the population believed that the flu spread from the Iberian peninsula, but it actually started from a military base in Kansas, USA.

Map showing how the virus spread:

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As one of the deadliest diseases, the Spanish Influenza infected 500 million people or 1/3 of the total world's population. The H1N1 virus took the lives of 50 million people, 675,000 of whom were  American.

Victims from the flu:

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1. The flu killed mostly young people with very strong immune systems.
2. The flu ended possibly because the more dangerous form died in the hosts.
3. Spanish Flu was not reported in the countries that participated in the war because of wartime censorship.
4. The coronavirus and the Spanish Flu may have originated from the same place, China.
5. The flu spread all over the world even to remote areas.

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How did World War I affect the spread of the flu?

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How did World War I affect the spread of the flu?

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The First World War contributed to the spread of the virus by creating an epidemic environment. Soldiers had to live in tents where there was a low food source, no medical supplies, and poor hygiene, which contributed to the quicker spreading of the virus. Soldiers were also very close to each other at the camps, which is a factor since the disease was highly contagious.
On the other hand, the war made a bad impact on people financially. People couldn't afford to buy food with good quality, medicines, and protective equipment. Many civilians couldn't get the needed healthcare, which was also a factor for the quick spreading.

Soldiers in front of a tent
(their home)

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The flu infected and killed many soldiers. This decreased drastically the military's strength. The war started to be very difficult to maintain due to the lack of soldiers. Countries were also financially worn out of the war. One option was left, which was to end the war. Eventually, in November 1918 the First World War came to its end.

Dignitaries with masks: