Der Krieg 1939/41 in Karten [The War in Maps]

The fifth? edition of a German atlas outlining the progress in the early years of World War II.

This fascinating compilation of maps and descriptive text was printed by Knorr & Hirth K.G. in early 1942 on behalf of the German Information Center in Berlin. The contents, designed by Ernst Adler, provide a decidedly biased overview of the historical events leading up to the outbreak of the Second World War, as well as the initial successes enjoyed by the German Army shortly after the capitulation of France.

Bright lithographed maps are accompanied by mendacious descriptions that couch Germany’s aggression as a need for defensive borders and place the blame for the global conflict squarely on England’s shoulders. Various theaters of war are examined in tremendous detail, including Europe, the Atlantic and Pacific, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, Africa, Scandinavia, and more. Specialized custom maps are also present, indicating the approximate aerial distance between Luftwaffe bases in Britain, the historic threat of Germany’s neighbors, and the growth of England’s overseas empire.

While some of the misinformative text refers to events that occurred in early 1942 (i.e. the fall of Singapore), the last major German actions covered were engagements in North Africa, the invasion of Crete, and the ‘battles of extermination’ leading to Moscow. The repulse of the German army from this last objective was one of the primary turning points of the war – almost totally overlooked in the volume.