1941 La Visceglia Italian Fascist Propaganda Map of Invasions of Great Britain

This May 1941 Visceglia map of Great Britain and Ireland is WWII Fascist Italian propaganda highlighting successful invasions of the British Isles from Antiquity through the 18th century. This map emerged as the Axis powers were planning a full-scale invasion of the Isles - Operation Sea Lion. With so many successful invasions in the past, the map reads, how can the Axis powers fail?

A Closer Look

The Italian-language map illustrates 50 invasions of the British Isles from antiquity through the 18th century. Ships encircle the British Isles with a red line nearly encircling them. Red text provides short histories of each invasion, several of which date from the Roman Era. One such, in 55 A.D., occurred in the vicinity of Dover where Romans and Britons fought in the up-to-waist-deep surf, turning the water red. A vignette illustrates Hadrian's Wall, perhaps Britain's most famous remaining Roman structure. In highlighting Roman victories, this piece reinforces one of Mussolini's favorite propaganda themes: inheriting and renewing the glory of Rome.

Publication History and Census

This map was created and published by Visceglia in May 1941. We note 2 examples cataloged in OCLC, which are part of the collections at the Library of Congress and the Biblioteca del Museo storico della Guerra in Rovereto, Italy. An example is also part of Persuasive Maps: PJ Mode Collection at Cornell University.