Influenza Pandemic Of 1918 Essay

It’s common knowledge that Germany was one of the defeated countries in WWI. The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 to 1919 contributed to this defeat more than most people are aware of. The influenza had an effect on Germany’s military offense that may have been the cause of their defeat. Specifically, it contributed to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, a peace settlement that was imposed on Germany and affected them negatively. The effects the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 had on Germany’s defeat during World War I are not analyzed and talked about very often by the simple fact that Germany did not want to be seen as a weak country. Throughout the course of the Influenza Pandemic from 1918 to 1919, media all over the world showed statistics of deaths in many different countries. If we analyze pieces of history, we do not come across many periodicals or statistics on the Germans. As mentioned earlier, Germany did not like to show throughout the …show more content…
“His temperature rose to 103 degrees and he experienced diarrhea and serious coughing spasms. The President 's physician first suspected poisoning; he later diagnosed the President as suffering from influenza” (“Using DHHS,”9/28/15). While it is uncertain whether this diagnosis was correct, Wilson 's illness made it nearly impossible for him to participate in key negotiations during the conferences. President Wilson had to assign someone to represent him during the meetings with Clemenceau and Lloyd George. He picked Eduard Mandell House, commonly known as Colonel House. Some historians suggest that Wilson was looking to have someone to blame for the forthcoming failure of his ideas at the conference. The President’s stubborn confidence on his own ways of negotiating under the stress of the disease made negotiations challenging. Negotiations remained tough long after, even tough, as House displayed frustration. (Crosby,