The Spanish flu came from Spain
| The Spanish flu came from Spain | |
|---|---|
| FALSE | |
| "The 1918 influenza pandemic, known as the Spanish flu, originated in Spain." | |
| Domain | History |
| Tactic | False Context |
| Era | Historical |
| First seen | 1918 |
| Origin | Reporting during the First World War, when Spain, a neutral country without wartime censorship, published news of the outbreak while warring nations suppressed it |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-27 |
| Further reading: books on History | |
The claim that the Spanish flu came from Spain rests on a misunderstanding. The influenza pandemic of 1918 to 1920 infected about a third of the world's population and killed an estimated 50 million people or more. It was called the "Spanish flu" because Spain, neutral in the First World War, had a free press that openly reported on the disease, including the illness of King Alfonso XIII in May 1918. Countries at war, including the United States, Britain, France and Germany, censored news about the outbreak to protect morale. This made it appear that Spain was especially affected. The true origin of the pandemic is uncertain, with researchers proposing places including the United States, France, Britain and China.
What the evidence shows
- Censorship. Wartime governments restricted reporting on illness among troops and civilians, while Spanish newspapers reported freely.
- Spanish view. In Spain, the disease was sometimes called the "French flu," reflecting a belief that it had come from France.
- Origin theories. Researchers have proposed several origins. One theory points to Camp Funston in Kansas, where an outbreak was recorded in March 1918; another to British army camps in France; another to laborers from China.
- Naming. The World Health Organization's 2015 guidelines recommend avoiding geographic names for diseases because they can stigmatize places and be inaccurate.
Why it persists
The name has been used for more than a century, and few people know its origin. Disease names tied to places tend to stick, even when misleading.
Lessons for readers
- Where something is reported is not necessarily where it began.
- Censorship can distort the apparent geography of events.
- Names of diseases can stigmatize places unfairly.
- Origins of pandemics can be difficult to determine.
See also
- 5G networks spread COVID-19
- The Lusitania carried no munitions
- The Titanic was advertised as unsinkable
Sources
- John M. Barry, The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History (Viking, 2004).
- Laura Spinney, Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World (PublicAffairs, 2017).