This illustration was published in 1940 by Richard Edes Harrison in his book Atlas for the U.S. Citizen. It shows three maps of the United States from different perspectives, simulating the options the United States had of being attacked if the Second World War ended up affecting the country.
In 1940, the United States was still neutral in the war. This map by Harrison was part of a propaganda campaign to raise awareness among American citizens about the real danger posed by Japan's advance in Asia and Germany's in Europe. The three perspectives delve precisely into the danger posed by these actors:
- … from Berlin: The map at the top shows what an attack orchestrated from Berlin by Nazi Germany, entering through Newfoundland, Canada, would look like.
- … from Tokyo. The map in the central area shows the prospect of an attack led by the Japanese Empire across the Pacific, reaching the west coast of the United States.
- … from Caracas. The map at the bottom shows how Japan and Germany could already be well positioned in South America and how vulnerable the United States would be if the Panama Canal were taken and the attack came from the Gulf of Mexico.
In this article You can find more information about how these types of maps were used in the United States as part of a persuasive discourse to convince the population of the need to participate in the war.
Sources
- Tres enfoques hacia los Estados Unidos
- Richard Edes Harrison and the Challenge to British Cartography
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