One of the most important parts of history is gaining historical perspective. What might dominate the headlines in a 24/7 news cycle might seem like an overreaction after some calm comparisons. 100 years ago in 1918 leading into 1919, witnessed events were far more traumatic to the American people than current controversies. Most importantly, this includes such events as a pandemic, Russia scare that came from bombings and a massive cheating scandal. The fall-out from those events suggests a need to approach current scandals with a better perspective.
100 years ago the Spanish flu devastated America. This was a particularly aggressive strain of the everyday flu that we encounter each year. Estimates vary, but it killed as many as 50 million people across the world. About a quarter of the American population was infected with half a million dying.
This was on top of the blood bath of World War I which was reaching its final gasps and desperate operations by the summer of 1918. The fallout from the war left a legacy of apathy among the veterans, political discontent with the leadership that got their countries into war, and distaste of the settlements that fell far short of the goals of the war. Many of the veterans needed long-term physical and psychological care for shell shock and battle fatigue that remained unavailable. Wilson himself proclaimed this was the war to end all wars, but he suffered a stroke while promoting the League of Nations. America never participated in the League and, much like Wilson after his stroke, the organization remained a shell of what it could be until it died.
The war also resulted in the collapse of the Russian empire and inspired a revolution by the Communists. American soldiers actually deployed to ports in Russia to protect goods originally intended for the Czarist government. But an anarchist campaign of bombing sparked a red scare. At least 36 bombs were mailed to various politicians and, combined with several prominent strikes by what appeared to be Communist labor unions, the US responded with raids on anarchist headquarters and deportations of suspected Communists.
While not a matter of life and death, the final crisis consisted of several White Sox players throwing the 1919 World Series. This was a national outrage that corrupted what was seen as a uniquely American pastime, and combined with the deaths from flu, Red Scare, and revolutions across the world, it seemed like things were coming apart in the country.
The Red Scare has the most application to current conditions in the country. Instead of facing a recent revolution and an active bombing campaign, the accusations of Trump’s Russian connections have few comparable events. There are signs of an aggressive Russia in their seizure of the Crimean Peninsula and active support of armed separatists in Ukraine but very little to support Russian collusion with the Trump campaign or that Russian efforts got him elected.
The other examples are less specifically related to modern conditions. But they should suggest: unless millions are dying around the world from flu, and a quarter of the US population infected, our health crises aren’t quite as bad. Lebron James only threw out his back trying to carry a team, instead of the team throwing the series. Our veterans are often either treated as victims or the recipients of uncritical hero worship, but they still have health and financial benefits that World War I vets often didn’t have. This is in stark contrast to the Bonus Army that had to march on Washington to demand compensation for their service.
We might be facing an unprecedented era of partisan bickering and rancor, but even a casual comparison with one of America’s worst years in 1918 leading to 1919 suggests that our problems are not overwhelming, unique, or even the worst. This should give us hope that our personal effort can make a difference in these troubling times and suggest a second thought is needed before we breathlessly rant about the next crisis of the day.
