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 … Read more
The map above shows Europe at the height of Napoleon Bonaparte’s power in 1812, just before his disastrous Russian campaign. At this point, Napoleon controlled, either directly or through puppet states and allies, nearly the entire European continent from Portugal to Poland, and from Denmark to Sicily. Napoleon’s conquest of Europe represents one of history’s … Read more
The map above shows Italy and the western Balkans (historically known as Illyria) in the year 1084 AD, a pivotal period when the political landscape of the region was fractured among various powers. Political Context This era marked the height of the investiture controversy, a power struggle between Pope Gregory VII and Holy Roman Emperor … Read more
The map shows the route of the 15th-century event known as the Columbian Exchange, including the routes it took, as well as the various products that were exchanged in between various places in the world. The Columbian Exchange represents one of the most significant ecological events in human history. Following Christopher Columbus’s voyage to the … Read more
The map above shows the Austro-Hungrian Empire in 1912, where it details the travel time from the city of Vienna to the rest of the empire, providing an interesting view of travelling throughout the empire before the onset of World War I. The early 20th century marked a fascinating transition period in transportation history. While … Read more
The map above shows parts of North America, Europe, and Africa that were once part of the so-called Central Pangean Mountain Range from the historical supercontinent, Pangea. Here are the following areas highlighted in the map that belonged to the aforementioned historical mountain range: Watkins Range that covers eastern Greenland Appalachian Mountains that comprise of … Read more
Shown above is a German-language map of the Holy Roman Empire when it was ruled by the Hohenstaufen Emperors during the middle of the 12th century to the late 13th century (1138-1254). The map above includes the Empire’s many principalities and states, with each of them being distinguished by various colors. Also shown are the … Read more
The map above shows the Holy Roman Empire in the year 200 AD, with its major road networks being illuminated. During that time, the empire had a massive road network, spanning a total of around 400,000 kilometers (250,000 miles), with 80,000 km (50,000 miles) of them being stone-paved roads. This enormous road trail proved to … Read more
The map above is the Kangnido (or Gangnido) map, formally known as the “Map of Historical Emperors and Kings and of Integrated Borders and Terrain”, which was made in the year 1402 by Korean cartographers in China. It depicts both China and Korea prominently, with the map being a fusion of two Chinese-made maps made … Read more
Video from YouTube/Miran Božičević; Map by Jean Michel Martin from Cartographie 1914 – 1918 The moving map above shows the so-called Western Front during World War I, with every second depicting the daily movements of a country’s army from 1914 to 1919. The red markings on the map show the Germans and their allies. Blue … Read more