The map above shows the territories still under Axis control on January 1, 1945, just months before the war’s conclusion in Europe.
By early 1945, the once formidable Axis alliance in Europe was in a state of collapse.
Germany and its remaining allies were fighting on multiple fronts, facing the advancing Allied forces from the west and the Soviet Red Army from the east. The Third Reich, which had once dominated continental Europe from France to the gates of Moscow, was now reduced to a shrinking territory centered around Germany itself.
Remaining Axis Powers
As depicted on the map, the European Axis forces at this point consisted of:
- Germany – The primary Axis power was now fighting desperately within its own pre-war borders and in surrounding territories. Germany had lost most of its conquered lands in the east and was increasingly vulnerable on its western front.
- Italian Social Republic – After Italy’s surrender in 1943, Mussolini established this German puppet state in northern Italy. It controlled a shrinking territory in the Po Valley region, with German forces providing military support.
- Hungary – By January 1945, only the western portion of Hungary remained under Axis control, with Budapest under siege by Soviet forces. Admiral Miklós Horthy had been removed from power in October 1944, replaced by the fascist Arrow Cross Party under Ferenc Szálasi.
- Slovakia – The Slovak puppet state, led by Jozef Tiso, was still nominally allied with Germany, though much of its eastern territory had already been liberated by Soviet forces.
- Croatia – The Independent State of Croatia (NDH), led by Ante Pavelić and his Ustaše movement, remained a German ally but had lost control of significant portions of its claimed territory to Yugoslav Partisans.
Strategic Situation
January 1945 represented a critical juncture in the European theater.
The failed Ardennes Offensive (Battle of the Bulge) had just concluded, depleting Germany’s last significant reserves on the Western Front. In the East, the Soviet forces were preparing for their massive winter offensive that would bring them to the gates of Berlin.
The map illustrates how the Axis territory had been drastically reduced by this point. Most of France, Belgium, Luxembourg, parts of the Netherlands, and portions of Italy had been liberated by Western Allied forces. In the east, most of Poland, the Baltic states, and parts of Czechoslovakia and Hungary had fallen to the Red Army.
Germany’s once-powerful allies Romania, Bulgaria, and Finland had already switched sides or surrendered. The remaining Axis satellite states were effectively controlled by German forces and lacked independent military capability.
The Coming Collapse
What the first map doesn’t show is the rapid collapse that would follow in the coming months.
By May 8, 1945 – just over four months later – Germany would surrender unconditionally to the Allies, ending the war in Europe. Their remaining controlled territories as they surrendered are shown in the map below.
During these final months, Allied air superiority would devastate German cities and infrastructure, while Soviet forces would launch their massive Vistula-Oder offensive in mid-January, followed by the Berlin offensive in April. From the west, American and British forces would cross the Rhine in March and rapidly advance eastward.
The territorial control shown on this map represents the last gasp of the Axis powers in Europe. Internal cohesion was deteriorating rapidly, with forced conscription of ever-younger boys and older men into the German Volkssturm militia, severe shortages of fuel and ammunition, and increasing desperation among both military and civilian populations.
This January 1945 snapshot captures a pivotal moment in World War II history – the beginning of the end for the Axis powers in Europe, whose territorial control would completely vanish within just a few months.
If you find these maps insightful, why not share it along with your network?