1942 German Propaganda Map of the Pacific Promoting Japanese Victories

This is 1942 German Wehrmacht (German Army) broadside propaganda map of the Pacific promoting Japanese victories over the United States and Great Britain. The map, which occupies the center of the broadside depicts the Pacific Ocean from Asia to California and from the Bering Strait to New Zealand and highlight's Imperial Japan's many offensives and victories during 1942. Thick red arrows point to Japanese victories at Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, throughout Indonesia, New Guinea, Guam and in the Solomon Islands, each of which are marked by small Japanese flags. Pearl Harbor, Midway, Samoa, Sydney, and Darwin are marked by American and British flags, and Japanese raids on these locations are shown by the same red arrows. An area filled with red lines marks Japan's every-expanding sphere of influence. A legend, situated along the left border, explains the various notations used.

Printed photographs and text surround the central map, all reinforcing the idea that the Japanese were unbeatable in the Pacific. A large Japanese flag is situated on the upper left, and, below the title to the right of the flag, the text of part of a speech by Hideki Tojo, the Prime Minister of Japan, stating Japan's desire to collaborate with Germany and Italy is included. The text in the lower left corner extolls Japanese victories, specifically citing the sinking of the British battleships Prince of Wales and Repulse. Photographs printed along the bottom and right borders illustrate the British surrender at Singapore, the Japanese landing at Corregidor, the last American stronghold in the Philippines, Japanese bombers on a mission, and Japanese tanks and other vehicles in Burma and Malaysia.

The Map's Publisher - Section IV of the German Army High Command's Department of Wehrmacht Propaganda

Section IV of the German Army High Command's Department of Wehrmacht Propaganda (1940 - 1945), abbreviated OKW / WPr. IV, was the branch of Nazi Germany's Department of Wehrmacht Propaganda tasked with the creation and distribution of foreign propaganda. Led by Lieutenant Colonel Albrecht Blau, the group created foreign-language magazines, disseminated propaganda, and delivered reports and denials to foreign language newspapers. We are aware of broadsides created in Dutch, French, and Portuguese.

Publication History and Census

This broadside propaganda map was created and published by Section IV of the German Army High Command's Department of Wehrmacht Propaganda in 1942. We are aware of examples that were published in Dutch and in French. This object is not recorded in the OCLC, but we know of two examples in institutional collections in the Netherlands.