The "Spanish flu" in the German Army 1918--the perspectives of physicians and generals

Up to now, the impact of the 1918 influenza pandemic on the German Imperial Army has remained surprisingly understudied. This paper is concerned with the two pandemic waves which afflicted the army during the last year of World War I and the attempts of prevention and treatment done by military doctors. Furthermore, it will be discussed how the disease was assessed by both military doctors and generals and to what extent German troops were affected by the pandemic. Finally it will be discussed if the pandemic changed the course of war.