Álvaro Aguilera
COMMENTARY OF A MAP
1. Comment the map below using the guide given and following all its points.
THE AXIS OFFENSIVE
1.Classification
Date and geographical space represented:
• It was the start from the axis expansion of territory in Europe in the WWII that
occurred between 1939-1941. The geographical space corresponds to Europe and
north of Africa.
Type of map:
• It's an evolution map because in the image are shown different stages of the WWII
conflict.
2.Analysis
The legend:
• The dark green color is the Third Reich (Germany).
• The soft green are the territories occupied by Germany.
• The orange color are the allies of Germany.
• The red color is the USSR.
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The green color is the undefeated U.K.
The countries in grey color were neutral.
The crossing swords are the movements to occupied territories (Red Germany,
Orange Italy and red USSR).
The crossing swords with lines are air attacks.
Explanation of the historical event shown in the map:
•
The principle attackers between 1939-1941 were the axis powers Germany and Italy
that were allies because they were fascist countries and they had allies like Hungary,
Slovakia and Bulgaria. Then the USSR signed a non-aggression pact with Germany
because Germany was afraid of having two frontiers and USSR was afraid of
Germany, Germany and Italy took advantage of the neutrality of the USSR and
started to annex countries in what is known as the lightning strikes, the USSR also
started to annex countries of around their frontiers. Later we can see some battles
like the battle of Britain in which important cities like London were bombed that
devastated the cities but they never surrendered.
3.Commentary
• Germany has a great crisis led by the peace treaties of the WWI and the only way of
solving this was not accepting the Treaty of Versailles The fragile democracy
imposed in Germany led into an easy rise to power of Hitler that wanted revenge.
Hitler believed in Nazism and the lebensraum and had alliances with expansionist
countries like Japan and Italy, G.B. and France allowed Germany to annexed Austria
and Czech but Germany wanted the Danzig corridor that was created by the treaty of
Versailles and sent and ultimatum to Poland but Poland rejected and Germany and
invaded Poland the 1st of September of 1939 starting the WWII because G.B. and
France declared war on Germany. The USSR annexed the other part of Poland, a
part of Finland and the Baltic states. Later the axis did the next invasions that are the
orange and brown swords.:
• Denmark and Norway are annexed in April 1940.
• Germans launched effective and rapid offensives on May 1940 conquering Belgium
Netherlands and north of France. The south of France (Vichy France) became an
allied country of Germany.
• United Kingdom was bombed by the Luftwaffe (the air force of Germany) in June
1940, but Germans could not launch a full invasion.
• Yugoslavia and Greece were invaded in 1941.
• Italy assisted Germany in 1940 and launched offensives in North Africa (Suez Canal)
and Greece although its army was not as effective as the German one and was
needed the German help.
4.Conclusion
• Overall, this events were crucial because started the WWII, the Axis powers were
able to achieve significant gains during this period, securing control over much of
Europe and cutting off the Soviet Union's access to the Mediterranean. However,
these offensives also spread the Axis forces thin, making it difficult to maintain
control over conquered territories and they would soon face fierce resistance from
the Allied forces. The Soviet Union, while not engaging in any major offensives
during this period, was able to secure its western border and expand its influence in
Eastern Europe. There strategic positioning would play a key role in the later Allied
victory.