Map Showing Railway Systems in the United States – Situation Map A

Training U.S. Army officers on a hypothetical invasion of the West Coast.

This military planning map of the United States was published in 1944 as part of the curriculum for the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. A base image showing the railroad network of the contiguous 48 states has been overprinted with blue (East Coast) and red (West Coast). The former probably shows training exercises of American units, while the latter appears to present a hypothetical enemy attack.

The Command and General Staff School was founded by William Tecumseh Sherman in 1881 as the School of Application for Cavalry and Infantry. In the early 20th century, it evolved into the Army School of the Line and, later, the Army Staff College, reflecting a broader curriculum covering tactics, strategy, and leadership. By the outbreak of World War II, the CGSS had established itself as the nation’s premier institution for military education, training officers not only from the Army but also from other branches of the armed forces. Its graduates played pivotal roles in the strategic planning and execution of Allied campaigns throughout the war, contributing significantly to the eventual victory.