Rise of Empires: Spain.

Chapter 602 Press Conference

When the Spanish government first announced its flu prevention measures, people across Europe were still laughing at Spain.

By the time European governments realized something was wrong with the flu death data, it was already too late.

Beginning in early August 1918, the flu began a second wave of transmission across Europe. By the end of August, the flu had returned to the United States, spreading throughout the Boston dockworker population overnight.

In just one month, the flu spread from Europe to all parts of the world, with cases appearing in major cities and regions of major powers, marking the beginning of the second large-scale wave of the flu.

The reason for distinguishing between the second wave of large-scale influenza infections and the first wave is that the mortality rates of the two waves of influenza are very different.

Although the initial symptoms of influenza are basically the same, the mortality rate of the second wave of influenza, which spreads widely, is nearly ten times that of the first wave.

Even more critically, according to statistics from European governments, unlike the first wave of influenza which affected the entire population, the second wave mainly targets young adults aged 20 to 35.

European men in this age group had already suffered a large number of casualties during the World Wars, and now they were facing the relentless onslaught of the influenza pandemic. The rapid loss of population caused panic in European countries.

Compared to the first wave of the flu, the second wave of the flu spread much faster, and the symptoms appeared very quickly.

Patients often die within a day of infection. They may appear perfectly fine in the morning, develop symptoms by noon, start vomiting blood and turning blue in the afternoon, and die from the flu by evening.

The increasing number of deaths from the flu finally triggered panic among the European public. When European governments attempted to control the outbreak as Spain had, they were horrified to discover that it was too late.

Because of the inaction of various countries in the early stages of the second wave of the pandemic, by the time they discovered the high lethality of the second wave of influenza, at least several million people in Europe had already been infected with the second wave.

Given the high mortality rate of the current second wave of influenza, less than half of the millions of patients who have been infected with the second wave will ultimately survive.

Given that a significant portion of these patients are relatively young adults, the damage caused by this flu to European countries is enormous, and these figures have left European governments in disbelief.

According to incomplete statistics, by early September 1918, the second wave of influenza had already infected at least eight million people. Major powers such as Britain, France, and the United States were among the hardest-hit countries, with tens of thousands of deaths reported in each, and the death toll continued to rise.

The flu, with its rapid spread and high mortality rate, caused widespread panic in Europe and around the world.

Europeans only now realize how early and effective the Spanish government's flu control policies were, but even then, their governments lack the resolve to implement such policies.

Some countries with ulterior motives even tried to shift the blame to Spain. Although major powers such as Britain, France, and the United States did not explicitly say so, their domestic newspapers and media outlets repeatedly reported on the early spread of the second wave of influenza in Spain, attempting to convince the public of the hypothesis that the spread and high mortality rate of the second wave of influenza were likely caused by Spain.

Whether the Spanish government has the capability to do so, and whether Spain is truly the mastermind behind the widespread spread of the second wave of influenza, is not something these countries and their newspapers and media should concern themselves with.

At this point, they need to shift public attention in order to absolve themselves of responsibility for their inaction in the early stages of the pandemic.

Even if the Spanish government can eventually explain it clearly, so what? This flu pandemic is at most a natural disaster and a man-made disaster. In the face of natural disasters and man-made disasters, it is quite reasonable for governments not to take adequate precautions.

Carlo and the Spanish government had anticipated the possibility of other governments shifting blame. Carlo instructed the Royal Security Intelligence Service to extensively gather data on influenza in Europe and the United States, ensuring adequate preparedness for the flu and implementing effective preventative measures in its early stages.

On the other hand, it is to prevent, as in the past, European and American countries from unfairly blaming Spain for the great flu.

The Spanish flu is not a pleasant name. This terrifying pandemic, which was destined to take the lives of tens of millions of people, would be better called the American flu or the French flu.

Seeing that public opinion in various European countries began to hold Spain accountable, Carlos made no attempt to hide his true intentions. A press conference, spearheaded by the Royal Academy of Sciences of Spain and assisted by the medical and diplomatic departments, was officially held in Madrid.

Due to the impact of this major flu outbreak, newspapers and media outlets from various countries wishing to participate in this press conference had to register in advance and undergo quarantine for at least a week at a centralized quarantine facility set up by the Spanish government.

Throughout the press conference, all attendees were required to wear masks. Thorough disinfection was conducted before and after the press conference to prevent the gathering from causing a widespread outbreak of influenza.

The Spanish government's sudden press conference immediately attracted the attention of newspapers and media from many countries.

Including local Spanish newspapers and media outlets, the number of media organizations that signed up reached over a hundred, all of which are well-known domestically or internationally.

After a week of quarantine, they finally arrived at the diplomatic press conference, eager to see what earth-shattering news Spain would reveal.

As expected, Spain did not disappoint the international newspapers and media outlets present at the press conference.

At the beginning of the press conference, Spain released a large amount of data related to the flu and pointed the finger at the United States, Britain and France.

The investigation by the Spanish Royal Intelligence Service yielded quite detailed and accurate data on influenza-related infections from various countries.

As a group of journalists stared in shock at the data, the Spanish Foreign Ministry finally began to speak:

Ladies and gentlemen, I know that you are all shocked by these data and even doubt their authenticity.

But I can assure you that this data is absolutely true and valid, and every piece of data comes from a careful investigation in Spain.

According to current records, this global influenza pandemic first broke out on March 4, 1918, at a military camp in Kansas, USA.

Because the initial symptoms were similar to those of the common cold, and because it did not cause many soldier deaths, the US government did not take the flu seriously. Between March 4 and 6, approximately 270 US soldiers at the military camp were infected, and only 11 ultimately died. These figures can be verified through investigations at local clinics, military camp records, and descriptions from some local residents.

Starting on March 10, the flu officially spread from military camps in Kansas to civilians across the United States, infecting hundreds of thousands of people.

To my knowledge, the earliest reported cases of influenza infection in Europe can be traced back to early April of this year.

In early April of this year, there happened to be an ocean cruise ship traveling from the United States to France. According to our investigation, several Americans on this cruise ship contracted the flu.

If nothing unexpected happens, it should be these Americans who brought the flu to Europe and then spread it throughout the world.

Starting in May, cases began to appear in various European countries. By this time, the spreading flu had attracted the attention of the Spanish government.

When we investigated the number of influenza infections and deaths in various European countries, we found that in the United States, where the flu first broke out, the number of deaths from the flu had reached tens of thousands.

It was precisely these alarming figures that alerted us, which is why Spain was able to implement its lockdown policies.

Of course, during the lockdown, the Spanish government will provide assistance to anyone in need, including but not limited to accommodation, food, and medical supplies.

Having spent so much time in Spain, you should be well aware of the current situation there. His Majesty the Emperor has donated over 5 million pesetas worth of supplies, including large quantities of hand sanitizer and face masks.

You are all wearing masks made in Spain now, and I'm sure you can feel their effectiveness. At least for now, when we interact face-to-face, masks help prevent the spread of the flu virus, which is why we can sit here instead of being quarantined.

Returning to the topic of this flu, before August, although the flu had spread widely around the world, the symptoms were similar to those of the common cold, and the mortality rate was not high, so it did not attract the attention of governments around the world.

Until August of this year, on a cargo ship traveling from Africa to the UK, the flu underwent a dramatic transformation. While still highly contagious, it also developed an extremely high mortality rate.

Several cargo ships bound for the UK that day experienced large-scale influenza outbreaks. Of these infected individuals, approximately 7% died on the spot, and about 16% subsequently died during investigations, resulting in a mortality rate exceeding 20%.

After we discovered the changes in the flu, we tried to alert other European governments, including the UK, but we received no response.

There's no other way but to keep raising the level of Spain's lockdown measures to prevent a new wave of influenza from spreading within the country.

Two weeks later, the flu began to appear in the United States and France. We tried to warn France and the United States, but there was still no response.

Now, you should all know the outcome. This new wave of influenza has infected tens of millions of people, becoming the greatest threat to Europe since the Black Death. We must take this pandemic very seriously and exert every effort to save humanity.

If these things are only stated verbally, it will be difficult to convince journalists from newspapers and media outlets in various countries.

But after combining the information presented to them, even the journalists who initially didn't believe it were now at least half convinced.

More importantly, the various data and information presented by Spain, as well as the timeline reasoning Spain used to explain the flu, were almost identical to the facts known to the journalists present.

This also means that even if the timeline of the Spanish deduction differs from the actual situation, the difference is probably not too great.

More importantly, the inaction of European governments during the flu season was witnessed firsthand by these newspaper journalists present.

Compared to the Spanish government, European governments can indeed be described as inactive, or even completely allowing the flu to spread, leading to another major crisis in human history.

After the reporters had gradually processed the information, the atmosphere began to liven up. Many reporters raised their hands to ask questions, and the representatives of the Spanish government answered them one by one.

Although the responsibility of the United States, Britain, and France is not explicitly stated, the relevant data and timeline presented by Spain clearly indicate that the United States, Britain, and France bear enormous responsibility for the spread of this major flu pandemic.

If the United States hadn't initially ignored the flu, it wouldn't have spread from the US to Europe. Similarly, if Britain and France hadn't ignored the flu, it wouldn't have spread from them to Europe and the rest of the world.

It can be said that the United States bears half the responsibility for the spread of influenza to the whole world, and Britain and France also bear half the responsibility.

More importantly, the fact that the flu first broke out at a military camp in Kansas, USA, also aroused the curiosity of many reporters present.

Is this just a common flu, or a secret biochemical experiment conducted by the United States?
Without the baptism of World War II, these journalists would not have been willing to speculate in this way. But after the exposure to biological and chemical weapons during World War II, journalists from newspapers across Europe were willing to think about the issue more deeply.

The press conference ended quickly, and the Spanish government said nothing except for some factual data about the flu and reasoning about the flu timeline.

But that was more than enough. Some quick-thinking reporters even came up with headlines and content on the spot.

If they simply followed the established reporting procedures regarding the relevant information revealed by Spain and the timeline of the flu, with so many newspaper reporters present, it would be impossible to write a sensational story to attract readers to buy the newspaper.

However, if we process the existing content and create something more interesting or attractive to people, it would undoubtedly be a huge hit.

After leaving the press conference, journalists from various countries excitedly returned to their hotels. Although the hotels had been converted into quarantine facilities by Spain, the existing hotel facilities had not been demolished, and food and drinks were still being provided.

Cigarettes and alcohol can also help journalists think and write news reports that are more likely to capture sensational stories, which is exactly what Spain needs.

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(End of this chapter)