Comments on: Ein kleinstaat bedroht Deutschland

By: Brett Holman

Brett Holman — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 11:12:37 +0000

Thanks, Hans! From that I've found some secondary sources which discuss the map and put it into context, e.g. G. Henrik Herb, 'Persuasive cartography in Geopolitik and national socialism', Political Geography Quarterly 8 (1989), 289-303. So Zeitschrift für Geopolitik was a nationalistic but scholarly journal which started in 1923 (or 1924). The map shown here was created expressly for an article on how best to design 'persuasive' maps (by comparison there's a 1929 map showing French, Polish and Czech air threats which was published in a Nazi newspaper; concentrating on the one threat here was held to be more effective). But it seems it was not itself used for propaganda as such. Doesn't help with where (or if) it was re-printed in a contemporary English publication though.

By: Hans M.

Hans M. — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 23:01:33 +0000

Source:
Rupert von Schumacher, Zeitschrift für Geopolitik 10, 1934, 645.

By: Brett Holman

Brett Holman — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 14:47:29 +0000

Yes, Czechoslovakia had an air force, but it was not capable of doing any serious damage to German cities as maps like this implied. It's a German parallel to the British fear of German bombers at the same time, understandable, vastly exaggerated, propagandistic.

By: John

John — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 03:08:25 +0000

Brazen propaganda, designed to justify the Germans breaking the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles prohibiting the country from having a military air force. But it was legitimate at the time. In 1934, Czechoslovakia had an air force. (Indeed, it also had the biggest arms manufacturing concern in Europe.) Germany, although it was trying to create an air force as soon as possible, did not.

If the Czechs had attacked Germany in 1934, they could have done just what this map depicts. And if Marshal Pilsudski in Poland had had his way, both countries would have attacked Germany before that crackpot Chancellor they'd just elected could create any mischief. Of course, their "allies" in Paris nixed the whole idea.

By: Brett Holman

Brett Holman — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 12:10:37 +0000

I should note that in 1934, Germany officially had no air force, so even Luxembourg could have been deemed threatening if it owned any aircraft at all. Which it probably didn't (it doesn't now). Hmm ... New Zealand -- dagger aimed at the heart of Antarctica or the Luxembourg of the South Pacific?

I'm really only worried about the reunification of Czechoslovakia insofar as it presages the resurrection of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Those Hapsburgs have been nursing a grudge for close to a century now, and their vengeance will be bloody. Remember Sarajevo!

By: BreathingHistory

BreathingHistory — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 19:38:58 +0000

I love maps and must admit I was inspired by your previous posts.

Strange maps is a great blog and one for my RSS feed.

By: Christine Keeler

Christine Keeler — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 14:58:38 +0000

Quite so Russ. I think on the basis of the above projection we could frighten the buggery out of our SE Asian neighbours with a map and about a dozen Swordfish biplanes.

Jets? Who needs 'em?

By: Russ

Russ — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 13:19:54 +0000

Isn't Strange Maps a fantastic site? Glad you could find it via The War Room! Beware of the threat that is a re-unified Czechoslovakia ;)

By: Christine Keeler

Christine Keeler — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 13:05:54 +0000

Seems perfectly reasonable to me. The Czechs had WMDs and the invasion was a pre-emptive strike. "Hitler described Czechoslovakia as a dagger aimed at the heart of Germany." Which calls to mind Kissinger's (apocryphal?) ironic reference of Chile (or NZ if you believe others): "A dagger aimed at the heart of Antarctica"