How many people died from the Spanish flu?

British Red Cross/Flickr, CC BY-SA The great influenza pandemic of 1918-19, often called the Spanish flu, caused about 50 million deaths worldwide; far more than the deaths from combat casualties in the World War One (1914-18). In fact, it may have killed between 3\% and 6\% of the global population.

Why was it called the Spanish flu?

Why was it called the “Spanish Flu?”. In the spring of 1918, just as the man-made horrors of World War I were finally starting to wind down, Mother Nature unleashed the deadliest strain of influenza in modern history. The virus infected as much as 40 percent of the global population over the next 18 months.

How did the Spanish flu affect the Spanish Civil War?

The Spanish flu slightly impacted the war beyond the toll it took on the number of available troops. It may have altered the course of the war slightly. Planned attacks had to be postponed, and the strength of the troops as a whole was drastically diminished. That said, historians agree it is unlikely to have changed the outcome.

How did the 1968 flu spread so quickly around the world?

The 1968 epidemic quickly spread around the world, infecting more people than the 1918 influenza – yet far fewer people died. (Credit: Getty Images) Even those left at home were still living in closed, crowded conditions that led to greater exposure to the virus.

After infecting millions of people worldwide, the 1918 flu strain shifted—and then stuck around. An unthinkable 50 to 100 million people worldwide died from the 1918-1919 flu pandemic commonly known as the “Spanish Flu.”

How are suspected cases of Spanish flu confirmed?

‡Suspected cases have not been confirmed by laboratory tests as being due to this strain, although some other strains may have been ruled out. Spanish flu, also known as the Great Influenza epidemic or the 1918 influenza pandemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus.

When did the Spanish flu end in Australia?

In January 1919, a third wave of the Spanish Flu hit Australia, where it killed 12,000 following the lifting of a maritime quarantine, and then spread quickly through Europe and the United States, where it lingered through the Spring and until June 1919.

Did the Spanish flu set the stage for World War II?

It may even be partially responsible for setting the stage for World War II. Some experts believe that United States President Woodrow Wilson was a victim of the Spanish Flu and was battling it as he worked to establish the League of Nations and post-war terms with Germany.