U-Boot, a possible German WWI victory?

**Kraxis** · 03-01-2006, 16:00

Total US losses in WWI: 126,000 killed and 234,000 wounded.
Of the killed, 57,476 were killed as a direct result of combat, the rest died of disease (and you will get an extra point if you can guess why so many died of disease so relatively fast).

Total numbers of mobilzed for all, as well as losses.

**Pontifex Rex** · 03-01-2006, 16:17

Originally Posted by Kraxis

...and you will get an extra point if you can guess why so many died of disease so relatively fast.

I would hazard the outbreak of influenza that began in 1918 and became a pandemic in 1919. Throw in unsanitary conditions of the front and the death toll shoots way up.

**Kraxis** · 03-01-2006, 16:24

Bravo!
And can you also tell us why it became a serious pandemic in 1919 and not just something confined to Europe and Asia?

**ShadesPanther** · 03-01-2006, 16:36

Because of the returning soldiers bringing it back home. Although it originated in Kansas

**Kraxis** · 03-01-2006, 16:53

Originally Posted by ShadesPanther

Because of the returning soldiers bringing it back home. Although it originated in Kansas

You sure about that? I mean the name is The Spanish Flu. Anyway, even if it originated in Kansas it apparently didn't do much there and was then exported to Europe where it had a lot of hosts in nice boggy trenches. Then those men returned home freshly infected, to all of their homes spread out over the entirety of the US.
And in Europe... Well people have always pushed back and forth over the borders, easy pickings for a serious epidemic.

Btw, does anyone know if the flu actually killed more than the war? I have heard that many times but never really gotten hold of any statistics.

**ShadesPanther** · 03-01-2006, 20:28

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Flu

not the most reliable but others I read tend to agree with it. The Americans brought it to Europe where it was spread all over the world by soldiers bringing it home.

The social effects were intense due to the speed of the pandemic. AIDS killed 25 million in its first 25 years, but the Spanish flu may have killed as many in only 25 weeks beginning in September 1918.

Wh it was called spanish flu

The Allies of World War I called it the "Spanish Flu". This was mainly because the pandemic received greater press attention in Spain than in the rest of the world, because Spain was not involved in the war and there was no wartime censorship.

**Papewaio** · 03-02-2006, 00:36

Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

Unless I'm terribly mistaken, America lost more than 60,000, no?

As noted the amount in combat was less, the proportion per capita was less etc.

Overall Wilson came across as arrogant, got his arguement that decisions should be made on input turned around on himself and essentially diminished the sway USA had by doing so.

Of those mobilised Australia, Canada and New Zealand suffered about 140,000 dead, almost half a million wounded. As percentage casualties they ranged from 40 to 66% of those mobilised. Compared to 8% for USA.

... Mind you the Aussie soldiers liked the Americans that they took under their wings... Monash certainly used them to good effect and in a manner that the American's approved of.