World War II: Europe in 1938 and 1945
Between 1938 and 1945, 11 states appear on the map of Europe and 9 disappear. Among those that vanish: Germany, Mesopotamia (GB), Morocco (France). New on the map: Iraq, Morocco, Tripolitania (UK). Turkey gains the most territory.
Open 1945 in the interactive map
States that disappeared
| State | Area in 1938 |
|---|---|
| Germany | 560,000 km² |
| Mesopotamia (GB) | 550,000 km² |
| Morocco (France) | 410,000 km² |
| Syria (France) | 320,000 km² |
| Armenia | 160,000 km² |
| Latvia | 60,000 km² |
| Lithuania | 60,000 km² |
| Estonia | 40,000 km² |
| Mandatory Palestine (GB) | 30,000 km² |
New states on the map
| State | Area in 1945 |
|---|---|
| Iraq | 440,000 km² |
| Morocco | 410,000 km² |
| Tripolitania (UK) | 220,000 km² |
| Syria | 190,000 km² |
| Germany (Soviet) | 110,000 km² |
| Germany (USA) | 100,000 km² |
| Iceland | 100,000 km² |
| Germany (UK) | 100,000 km² |
| Jordan | 90,000 km² |
| Austria | 80,000 km² |
| Germany (France) | 30,000 km² |
States that grew or shrank
| State | Change in area |
|---|---|
| Turkey | +290,000 km² |
| Poland | −90,000 km² |
| Romania | −70,000 km² |
| Czechoslovakia | +40,000 km² |
| Greece | −30,000 km² |
| Finland | −30,000 km² |
What happened in between
| Year | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 1939 | Germany invades Poland; WWII begins | Warsaw |
| 1942 | Battle of Stalingrad | Battle of Stalingrad |
| 1943 | Battle of Kursk | Battle of Kursk |
| 1944 | D-Day landings in Normandy | Normandy Landings |
| 1944 | Republic of Iceland founded | Reykjavík |
| 1945 | War in Europe ends | Berlin |
Battles of the period
- Battle of Stalingrad · 1942
- Battle of Kursk · 1943
- Normandy Landings · 1944
- Yalta · 1945
People of the period
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| 1856 – 1939 | Sigmund Freud | Founder of psychoanalysis |
| 1874 – 1965 | Winston Churchill | British prime minister |
| 1878 – 1953 | Joseph Stalin | Soviet leader |
| 1879 – 1955 | Albert Einstein | Physicist |
| 1881 – 1938 | Mustafa Kemal Atatürk | Founder of the Republic of Turkey |
| 1890 – 1970 | Charles de Gaulle | President of France |
| 1918 – 1970 | Gamal Abdel Nasser | President of Egypt |
Questions
How did the map of Europe change between 1938 and 1945?
Between 1938 and 1945, 11 states appear on the map of Europe and 9 disappear. Among those that vanish: Germany, Mesopotamia (GB), Morocco (France). New on the map: Iraq, Morocco, Tripolitania (UK). Turkey gains the most territory.
Which states disappeared from the map of Europe between 1938 and 1945?
Germany, Mesopotamia (GB), Morocco (France), Syria (France), Armenia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Mandatory Palestine (GB).
Which new states appeared between 1938 and 1945?
Iraq, Morocco, Tripolitania (UK), Syria, Germany (Soviet), Germany (USA), Iceland, Germany (UK), Jordan, Austria.
Borders are drawn from the nearest available maps and are approximate.
Last updated 10 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.