The General and the Flu

In January 1918 as the Spring Offensive was being prepared, General Ludendorff caught the Spanish Flu and died. Command of the German forces fell upon general Oskar von Hutier who proceeded to commit additional 700.000 troops and 50.000 horses to the Spring Offensive at the expense of german occupation in former Eastern Front. In the wake of these additional reinforcements the offensive succesfully drove the British Expeditionary Force back to the channel ports and paved the way for the capture of Paris during early summer of 1918 leading to an armistice between the Central Powers and the Entente which favored the former.

Additional changes were that Winston Churchill died during the Spring Offensive, Manfred von Richthofen survived to lead the German Air Force, the armistice made the British Empire leave the Ottoman lands leading the Arab Revolt to fail and Bolshevik inspired revolts in Eastern Europe ultimately led to a German intervention that ousted the soviets from power in 1919.

Fascism spread from Italy to France, the United Kingdom and Russia leading to expanded colonialism and a much bloodier and longer World War II between the Axis and the Central Powers.