12. 1919 may have brought peace, but millions died from Spanish flu, and in retrospect, it can be argued war was only put on hold for 20 years.
It should have been a year of triumph. After all, the First World War, the bloodiest conflict the world had ever seen, came to an end in November of 1919. The peace treaty that officially ended the slaughter should have ushered in a century of peace. However, the Treaty of Versailles did quite the opposite. The end of the war came as a shock to many people in Germany, as did the idea that their nation was actually the loser. This single document planted the seeds for the Second World War, with Hitler able to take advantage of the widespread mistrust of politicians, resentment and thirst for revenge.
What’s more, 1919 also saw Russia descend into its own bloody Civil War, a conflict that would lead to the creation of the Communist Soviet Union. Moreover, the end of the First World War also led to the maps of the Middle East being re-drawn, creating grievances that are still fought over to this day. And then, of course, there was the Spanish Flu. Though at its peak in 1918, millions also died in 1919. Indeed, an estimated 500,000 Americans died as a result of the epidemic during those 12 months alone. And those who survived were unable to toast their good luck – after all, the 18th Amendment, which introduced Prohibition, was passed in 1919.