DBWI Spanish flu hits later

[West]

The Spanish flu epidemic of 1914 started some time in January and is estimated to have infected a third of the human race and killed between 20-50 million people.

Among the casulities was Wilhelm Kaiser who died during the early part of the plague.


Some historians claim that the flu prevented a war of global proportions, and that if it didn't happen Europe would have eurupted into war.


But what if the Spanish flu had hit later or not at all how would that have changed European history? and world history?

 

[FesteringSpore]

This would just be a "WI", not a "Double-Blind What If," my guy.

 

[Zachariah]

This would just be a "WI", not a "Double-Blind What If," my guy.

OOC: No, it's a DBWI, from a TL where the Spanish Flu epidemic hit four years earlier, and butterflied away OTL's WW1.

 

[EbolaMan131]

Oh god well I think this would slow down research of Vaccines and Other types of Medicine
Like can you imagine a world without the Cure for Cancer or Tuberculosis?
I also think it would mean a vastly different Europe
While the Flu was devastating, it only prevented war between the Great Powers that started in the 1920s

 

[Joseph890]

Maybe there wouldn’t have been the succession crisis in the Austro-Hungarian empire. The flu killed the first seven people in line for the throne.

 

[Whiteshore]

Maybe there wouldn’t have been the succession crisis in the Austro-Hungarian empire. The flu killed the first seven people in line for the throne.

Didn't Hungary take advantage of this to declare independence with the support of Russia?

 

[Mort the Reaper]

Didn't Hungary take advantage of this to declare independence with the support of Russia?

I think so, but I'm not entirely certain.

 

[Joseph890]

Didn't Hungary take advantage of this to declare independence with the support of Russia?

They did but does succession crisis cost the lives of about 300,000 people because the collapsed. That was just fighting. The aftermath killed at least to some estimates about 1.2 million.

 

[Whiteshore]

The aftermath killed at least to some estimates about 1.2 million.

Including victims of ethnic cleansing due to Hungarian nationalists desiring a "pure" Hungarian nation.

 

[Joseph890]

Including victims of ethnic cleansing due to Hungarian nationalists desiring a "pure" Hungarian nation.

There was ethnic cleansing from not only the Hungarians but also the Austrians, Slovenians and Czechoslovakians.

 

[Dolan]

The Death of Kaiser Wilhelm II and The Short-Lived reign of his son Wilhelm III before succumbing to the Spanish Flu (1914-1915) did left German throne to then 9 years old Little Kaiser Wilhelm IV, who end up being evacuated to Australia after the invitation from King George V to safeguard his relatives while the Spanish Flu rages in Europe.

The British-German bond has been ever strengthened from that point on, joint researches in virology, disinfections, and most importantly, The Flu Vaccine thay saved the world would be traced all the way to how British and German Royalties spend most of their personal wealth to aid their people.

Yes, it does led to accusations that Wilhelm IV is little more than British Puppet, and the Great War started in 1920 after Radical Socialist Republicans headed by Rosa Luxembourg and her young paramour Adolf Hitler seized the Reichstag and declared the Red German Republic (Rotsreich Deutschland) that Europe turned into full blown war as Republic of France attacked the Kaiser Loyalists that end up triggering British attack on France.

 

[Whiteshore]

Yes, it does led to accusations that Wilhelm IV is little more than British Puppet, and the Great War started in 1920 after Radical Socialist Republicans headed by Rosa Luxembourg and her young paramour Adolf Hitler seized the Reichstag and declared the Red German Republic (Rotsreich Deutschland) that Europe turned into full blown war as Republic of France attacked the Kaiser Loyalists that end up triggering British attack on France.

And Russia and Hungary (ironic in the former) also joined France in their war as well.

 

[Dolan]

And Russia and Hungary (ironic in the former) also joined France in their war as well.

Russia is in a pretty much perilous position tbh. The Franco-Russian Alliance must be honored, and let's be honest, British-Italian meddling in the Balkans did turn British-Russian relationship sour even before 1920.

The Red Revolution in Germany just provides a very convenient excuse, even as the Tsar actually backed Prince Friedrich Hohenzollern as the pro-Russian candidate in secret. This end up biting the Russian Royals in the ass when The Russian Bohlesviks suddenly turned their guns against the Russian Royalists as Joseph Stalin declared the formation of Soviet Union.

It does become awkward as the Romanovs end up taking refuge in (who else) Britain, and King George V roast them as being complete fools.

 

[SealTheRealDeal]

There was ethnic cleansing from not only the Hungarians but also the Austrians, Slovenians and Czechoslovakians.

Are we really counting the population exchanges between Hungary and Austria-Slovenia as ethnic cleansing on behalf of the double-duchy?

 

[Tales Weaver]

Not to mention the fact that president Woodrow Wilson, and vice president Thomas Marshall was among the victims when Spanish flu struck america. They need to pass that presidential succession act of 1916 in case of president dying in office.

 

[Whiteshore]

Not to mention the fact that president Woodrow Wilson, and vice president Thomas Marshall was among the victims when Spanish flu struck america. They need to pass that presidential succession act of 1916 in case of president dying in office.

Your thoughts on the Presidency of William Jennings Bryan? Even if he was defeated narrowly by Theodore Roosevelt in 1916, his Presidency was quite pivotal IMHO.

 

[Whiteshore]

In East Asia, would Yuan Shikai have successfully made himself the Hongxian Emperor of China without the flu due to how Sun Yixian was one of the victims of the flu and how Yuan Shikai justified himself becoming Emperor by arguing strog leadership was needed during this dire situation?

 

[Tales Weaver]

William Jennings

Well.. free silver policy of expansionary monetary policy helped counter the panics that followed the Spanish flu.

 

[SealTheRealDeal]

In East Asia, would Yuan Shikai have successfully made himself the Hongxian Emperor of China without the flu due to how Sun Yixian was one of the victims of the flu?

I doubt Sun would last much longer regardless, Yuan liked having people disappear.

 

[Whiteshore]

I doubt Sun would last much longer regardless, Yuan liked having people disappear.

Well, it was not Sun Yixian that Yuan Shikai had to worry about IMHO. Regional military leaders in the South along with Liang Qichao and Kang Youwei were initially unhappy about Yuan Shikai's desire to become Emperor but were silenced/appeased by the fact Yuan Shikai presented his decision to proclaim himself Emperor as one caused by the need to "maintain order in this dire period".