The End of the First World War, The Start of a New Pandemic

1918/19 an influenza pandemic spread through many parts of the world. Often even healthy and relatively well-nourished people died within days. The pandemic was probably a consequence of the First World War and caused considerably more casualties than the fighting itself. It is estimated that around 20 to 50 million people died.

Especially Asia was heavily affected from the so-called “Spanish flu”. Up to 20 million people died in India alone, 9 million in China. Official numbers are rare with the exception of Egypt (138,648 deaths). Approximately 21,000 people fell victim to the pandemic in Austria, between 4,000 and 9,000 in Vienna.

Caricature in the newspaper Kikeriki, 27 October 1918. Österreichische Nationalbibliothek

A caricature about the dangers of the pandemic at the end of the First World War.

You'll find the entire issue of Kikeriki, October 27, 1918 here

Overcrowded train of returning soldiers at the Marchegg border, Photographer unknown, news-paper print, in Wiener Bilder, 24 November 2918. Österreichische Nationalbibliothek

After the end of the war, soldiers came back to their native regions and the virus could spread throughout the world.