The Relationship Between Spanish Flu and the Experience of the First World War Essays

The Relationship Between Spanish Flu and the Experience of the First World War Essays The Relationship Between Spanish Flu and the Experience of the First World War Essay The Relationship Between Spanish Flu and the Experience of the First World War Essay The First World War raged on for four savage and bloody years, claiming lives and destroying the futures of those left behind as survivors.   As the war entered what would be seen in retrospect as its final official year, 1918, another enemy far more elusive and harder to defeat than even the most organized army would emerge on the scene in the guise of the so-called ‘Spanish Flu’.   When this pandemic is examined and discussed in comparison and contrast to the experiences of WWI, a greater understanding of human, international and military history during this pivotal time emerges.   Therefore, in this paper, these topics will be presented and interwoven with the intention, upon completion of the research, of presenting not only a story of history, but also one of humanity. An Examination of ‘Spanish Flu’ When conducting research into the ‘Spanish Flu’ pandemic of 1918-1919, one literally finds thousands of sources of information about the clinical aspects of the illness, death tolls, and the like, but information regarding the true origin of this spreading of the influenza virus is typically a bit harder to find, but worth the search, for when the facts are presented, the reality of what has been falsely attributed to a Spanish origin can be seen to actually be anything but Spanish in retrospect. ‘Spanish Flu’, as was suggested earlier, does not exist; as a matter of fact, the strain of influenza that was given this name actually can be traced back to an American army camp in the spring of 1918; from that camp, the sickness was carried to France by Expeditionary Forces that were allied with the French in the fighting of the war (Phillips, et al).   If this information is in fact accurate, the question arises as to how/why the name ‘Spanish’ was attached to this flu at all.   The truth of the matter is in fact multi-faceted. Generally, the world attitude toward Spain in regard to WWI was not favorable, due to the fact that the nation chose not to take a side in the war, and perhaps even more importantly, did not offer any troops, financial support, or equipment to anyone involved in the war effort itself (Larson); therefore, the stage was set for a great deal of resentment toward Spain for what was perceived as a lack of involvement in the war effort.   Moreover, during the time of WWI, when so many other nations were on the brink of destruction and bankruptcy, Spain was in fact enjoying a fair level of financial prosperity.   Whether this was due to a lack of involvement in the war is still a point of debate, but a logical conclusion can be drawn that the economy and populous of Spain would have been worse off had the nation been engaged in WWI. As news of the safety and prosperity of the Spanish nation began to spread throughout the war-stricken parts of Europe, a great deal of people, seeking to escape the ravages of war and take advantage of economic opportunity, immigrated to Spain (Page).   Because of this massive influx of people, the cities of Spain soon became less than desirable in terms of crowded living conditions, sanitation, and the like- a breeding ground for disease.   Upon this stage, sources indicate that many French refugees came to Spain, and many of these individuals were carriers of the influenza that has been traced back to American soldiers; therefore, the flu ravaged Spain and was exported when people, who did not have familial or economic ties to Spain, came and went with regularity.   In this sense, the biggest export from Spain at the time was in fact the flu, but it was not due to any action or inaction on the part of the Spanish people, government, or medical system.   The reality is that this flu could actually be more accurately called the ‘American Flu† if the criterion for naming it is the nation/nationality that originated the sickness in the first place. The Spanish press of the day can also be seen to have played a role in the creation of the term ‘Spanish Flu’.   Once the illness had begun to heavily affect those living in Spain, whether they were citizens, of Spanish descent or not, the national newspapers carried extensive accounts of the experiences of those afflicted, death tolls, and other associated news items (Phillips, et al).   The reality is that whatever the intention of Spanish reporters sensationalistic or not, the net effect was to give Spain an unfair burden of guilt as the â€Å"creators† of the influenza epidemic which began in 1918. The Experience of the First World War The experience of   WWI was more complex than one may imagine, even from its beginning, and once again, research reveals that much lurks beneath the surface of the traditional version of how the war started and progressed.   There was more to the onset of the war then the event of an Austrian prince being   murdered in Serbia, as is what most people consider to be the cause of World War I.   Ã‚  Furthermore, the effects of the war were not just concentrated to a post-war era lasting for a generation of Westerners.   Rather, it was the breaking point for Austria in its dealings with Serbia. The truth of the matter is that several factors played a role in the outbreak of the war.   WWI truly was the result of building aggressions among the countries of Europe which was backed by the rise of nationalism. To add to the disastrous pot, there was also imperial competition along with the fear of war prompting military alliances and arms  Ã‚  race.   All of these increased the escalating tensions that lead to the outbreak of WWI (Higham, et al). Another experience to come out of WWI was the first of what would become many â€Å"arms races†. With the hostile divisions of the nations of Europe   there came the expansion of armies and navies. Furthermore, the great powers came to copy Germany’s military   organization and efficiency, which called for universal registration for military duty, large reserves and detailed planning (Coetzee, et al). Efforts were made for universal disarmament, but the escalation of weapons continued unrestricted, much like a case of history repeating itself, when looked upon from the perspective of the arms races of today. The extreme popularity of the development of more and more weapons during the WWI era also served as a catalyst for another occurrence which even today is viewed as barbaric and unacceptable in virtually all war situations- chemical weapons and warfare.   Much like the more aptly named ‘American Flu’ used a naturally occurring situation to claim millions of lives, the scientists of the WWI era began to harness the power of chemical reactions to create weapons such as Mustard Gas, which would, without distinction between soldiers and civilians, literally poison men, women, and children en masse.   In fact, there is also evidence to suggest that these chemical weapons were not originated by crazed military geniuses, but rather were based upon the discoveries and studies conducted by some of the most brilliant minds of chemistry, found in the universities of the world (Russell).   In an ironic twist, chemicals originally formulated as pesticides, ostensibly to improve the lives of individuals, were adapted for the purposes of war and killing people by the thousands, indiscriminately (Russell). The experience of WWI also set the stage for some of the worst events that would befall human history in the decades to come.   In 1929 the American stock market came to a   crashing halt.   With the financial crisis also came a decrease of production, and naturally this lead to widespread unemployment. The era of the Great Depression was also the era of the rise of political dictatorship throughout Europe. These dictatorships involved a new form of tyranny and were most evident in the rise of Nazi Germany and particularly, Adolf Hitler. It is believed by many that Hitler would never have came to power if it had not been for the sounding defeat and humiliation of Germany as the result of WWI and its immediate aftermath (Luckhurst). Interrelationship Between The Elements Looking at the relationship between the experiences of what is commonly called ‘Spanish Flu’ and World War I, there are both concrete and abstract relationships between the two that emerge, and can be identified and discussed. First, the concrete associations between these elements virtually jump out at even the most casual researcher, and the parallels manifest themselves: both elements grew with tremendous ferocity to claim millions of lives, and leave behind nothing but misery and sadness for the survivors, most of whom spent the rest of their lives trying to understand exactly what happened, why it happened, and what can be done to prevent such a horrible tragedy from ever showing itself again.   Both elements, once they reached full speed so to speak, were unstoppable, and had to quite literally â€Å"run their course† before they subsided (Coetzee).   Moreover, both of these provided hollow victories, for both war and disease would emerge time and time again, and do so even in the 21st century.   Likewise, war and disease evolved for the worse during the time of WWI, and no one was able to find a way to complete erase either from the face of the earth. More abstract relationships between the two can also be seen; perhaps one of the most interesting common threads can be seen in the role of the media in both events.   In the case of the influenza outbreak, evidence presented earlier in this paper showed that the frenzy that was generated by the media led to the misnaming of the so-called ‘Spanish Flu’, and no amount of attempts to correct the error, after being placed in the minds of the people by the media of the day, could reach any level of effectiveness.   Also, those who carried the flu, as was also discussed earlier, were likely attracted to Spain in the first place by the media accounts of safety, freedom and economic prosperity in Spain, while the majority of the rest of the world was in the grips of a war that had the potential to destroy everyone and everything.   Therefore, it would not be too much of a leap to say that the media carried the influenza epidemic as much as the human body did. From an abstract viewpoint, the overall idea of frailty of human life is also critically important.   In an old adage, whose originator is lost to obscurity, it was once said that â€Å"man plans- God laughs†, meaning that for all that we think we control in the human condition, essentially, we in reality control very little.   Keeping this in mind, whether one is talking about a chemical weapon, human illness, or the natural tendency of man to conflict with other men in a pursuit of power and control of the physical world, there are some elements which are uncontrollable, no matter what one may attempt to manipulate.  Ã‚   As much as the human race may kid itself, and lull into a false sense of security by thinking that everything is in control and that the future can be at its brightest, the reality is that nothing is for certain.   Disease and war, as presented in this paper, are prime examples of this. Conclusion This paper has shown the concrete and abstract associations between war and disease, as well as the complexities of the human condition.   In closing, perhaps the best information that can be drawn from the research is that the human race, as has been said time and time again, must either learn from history or be condemned to repeat it.   Perhaps, finally, no wiser words have ever been said.