The Great Invasion, the view of a jingoist (1935)

This map was created by LeRoy Appleton for Fortune magazine and published in 1935. The illustration, with a strong propaganda message, shows all the strategic points in the United States and the possible attack routes of hypothetical enemies, including Japan, the United Kingdom, and a European coalition.

As described in the title itself, this map is painted from the point of view of a jingoist. Jingoism is a term coined in the United Kingdom that is used to refer to extreme patriotism that justifies an aggressive foreign policy. In this case, it shows possible threats to the United States that had no real basis, but were intended to justify spending money to improve the armed forces so that they could attack before being attacked.

On the map, Appelton shows four possible origins of foreign attacks on US territory:

• The route from Alaska, where the map states that the defences are very weak.
• From Hawaii, where the possible collaboration of Japanese nationals already present on US territory is noted.
• From Canada, which would target the country's main industrial centres at that time, such as Detroit and Buffalo.
• From the Caribbean, which could reach Birmingham, the city that housed the largest steel factory, essential in the event of a future conflict.

In addition, the map has a legend showing the major strategic points that could be most vulnerable to attack:

• The four main army locations are marked with red and white flags.
• With a blue and red target, there are more than fifteen aviation positions.
• On the east, west and south coasts, defensive points against attacks by sea can be observed.
• The main railway routes facilitating the transport of goods and armaments are shown on the map.
• More than twenty dams are located along the country's main rivers.
• Industrial areas and factories are scattered throughout the territory, demonstrating the great importance of the north-east of the country at that time.
• Refineries and oil fields are located throughout the country, but are more concentrated in the central region and Texas.

Sources

• The Great Invasion of 19?? A Jingo’s View, Based on Some Potent Realities