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Brief Overview

World War 1 had reached it's most violent stage in its timeline of conflict, marked by America's involvement, but the Great War was not the main cause of death around the globe in 1918-1919. Ravaging the lives of people in almost every country in Europe, from each corner of the United States, to Asia, and even some places in South America, the 3 waves of the Spanish Flu wiped out more peole in 2 years than a global war could in 5 years. Though it is not confirmed and still controversial regarding where the Spanish Flu actually started, it has been documented that a single WW1 soldier stationed at a military training camp in Kanasas reported flu-like symptoms, and within a month several hundred of the soldiers there had died because of the disease. To say the least, the Spanish Flu was a major confict that affected atleast 3/4 of the world's coutnries and made a huge social and cultural impact that would change the world forever.

The main cause pertaining to why the Spanish Flu spread is actually a direct result of World War 1. With American soldiers, who carried the disease, moving to the European battle fronts, the diesase spread like wildfire in the close-quarted trenches and poor health aid on the battlefields. A key player during the time of the Spanish Flu, on the other hand, was the European country of Spain, which was not involved in World War 1. Because they were not involved in the war, their government was not as strict as others regarding media stories and current events. The flu was dubbed the Spanish Flu, because it was through Spain's media that it became globably recognized.

The Spanish Flu had a major impact on the future of the medical, social and cultural, world. Because of the flu that sweeped the globe, at the time, the social aspect of people's lives were affected. They wore masks to keep themselves safe from catching the flu, and quarentines were not uncommon. Many larger cities even required a certain pass to get on trains or buses. Culturally, through studing the effect of an epidemic, we are now able to provide better medicine and vaccines to prevent and even cure such a flu. While in our culture today, we can go to the doctor and get some medicine, it was not like that almost 100 years ago. Then, it was culturally accepted that if you caught it, you would die. Unlike other global conflicts throuhgout history, this one seemed to dissaprear on its own, just as mysteriously as it had arrived. By the end of 1919, the Spanish Flu epidemic was over, if not 100%. But that does not mean it's legacy isn't still affecting us today.