My understanding is that the main cause of mortality was bacterial pneumonia, but only in conjunction with the debilitating effects of viral influenza on the lungs.
Compounded, in a great many places, by reduced quantity and quality of diet caused by a several horrible winters and harvests back to back.
The question about mortality among "healthy young men" that I haven't been able to find is what percentage were WWI vets? It is possible that trace exposure to blister agents might have had some effect on their their death rate.
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