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Historical map · 1938

Map of Europe in 1938

In 1938, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 38 states, empires and other polities in Europe. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the French Third Republic and the Republic of Turkey. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics reached well beyond Europe: its whole territory measured about 21.3 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Europe in 1938. Zoom in, move the year slider to watch the borders change, or ask the history guide a question and it draws the answer on the map.

OPEN 1938 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1938
Atlas map: The Great Terror (1937)
FROM THE ATLAS · THE SOVIET UNION UNDER STALIN, CHAPTER 6: THE GREAT TERROR (1937)

States and empires in Europe in 1938

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Wikipedia2.5 million km²21.3 million km²1922–1991
French Third Republic Wikipedia1.3 million km²13.4 million km²1871–1939
Republic of Turkey Wikipedia763,000 km²763,000 km²1924–2024
Nazi Germany Wikipedia623,000 km²624,000 km²1933–1944
French Africa Wikipedia568,000 km²11.1 million km²1846–1957
Kingdom of Sweden Wikipedia455,000 km²455,000 km²980–2024
Republic of Finland Wikipedia374,000 km²374,000 km²1918–2024
Second Polish Republic Wikipedia372,000 km²372,000 km²1918–1939
Kingdom of Norway Wikipedia342,000 km²418,000 km²1814–2024
Spanish Nationalists Wikipedia338,000 km²338,000 km²1936–1938
Kingdom of Romania Wikipedia300,000 km²300,000 km²1919–1947
Kingdom of Italy Wikipedia295,000 km²295,000 km²587–1946
British Empire Wikipedia280,000 km²17.1 million km²1706–1999
United Kingdom Wikipedia280,000 km²818,000 km²1709–2024
Yugoslavia Wikipedia246,000 km²246,000 km²1919–1991
French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon Wikipedia192,000 km²201,000 km²1920–1945
Kingdom of Iraq Wikipedia176,000 km²434,000 km²1932–1957
Second Spanish Republic Wikipedia171,000 km²516,000 km²1931–1938
Greece Wikipedia118,000 km²118,000 km²1822–1940
Kingdom of Iceland Wikipedia111,000 km²111,000 km²1918–1943
Kingdom of Hungary Wikipedia107,000 km²107,000 km²1849–2024
Kingdom of Bulgaria Wikipedia102,000 km²102,000 km²1909–1946
Portugal (Estado Novo) Wikipedia92,000 km²2.2 million km²1926–2024
Czechoslovakia Wikipedia86,000 km²86,000 km²1919–1991
Éire (Ireland)75,000 km²75,000 km²1938–2024
Republic of Latvia Wikipedia68,000 km²68,000 km²1920–2024
Republic of Lithuania Wikipedia62,000 km²62,000 km²1919–2024
Denmark Wikipedia53,000 km²53,000 km²1046–1940
Estonia Wikipedia48,000 km²48,000 km²1919–2024
Swiss Confederation Wikipedia41,000 km²41,000 km²1294–2024
Netherlands Wikipedia37,000 km²2.1 million km²1811–2024
Kingdom of Belgium Wikipedia31,000 km²31,000 km²1830–2024
Albania Wikipedia28,000 km²28,000 km²1912–2024
Pahlavi Iran Wikipedia15,000 km²1.6 million km²1924–1978
Greenland Wikipedia12,000 km²2.2 million km²1734–1940
Free City of Danzig Wikipedia2,500 km²2,500 km²1809–1939
Luxembourg2,370 km²2,370 km²1871–2024
Principality of Andorra Wikipedia400 km²400 km²1815–2024

"In the data" gives the first and last year the dataset draws the state under this identity; states often existed earlier or later in another form.

What changed since 1930

New on the map: Nazi Germany, Spanish Nationalists, Kingdom of Iraq, Second Spanish Republic, Éire (Ireland).

Gone from the map: Kingdom of Spain, Spanish Empire, Weimar Republic, British Africa, Republic of Austria, Irish Free State.

What comes next: 1939

Appear by 1939: Francoist Spain.

Gone by 1939: Spanish Nationalists, Second Spanish Republic, Czechoslovakia, Albania.

Read the history of 1938

Guided atlas chapters set near this date, each with its own map, causes and consequences:

Questions about this map

Which countries were in Europe in 1938?

The map data draws 38 states and other polities in Europe in 1938. The largest by land were the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the French Third Republic, the Republic of Turkey, Nazi Germany and the French Africa.

What was the largest empire in Europe in 1938?

Of the states on this map, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics held the most land in total: about 21.3 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Europe in 1938 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1938, zoom into any region, move through the years, and ask the history guide questions: it answers in plain words and draws places, armies and borders on the map.

About these borders

The borders come from Cliopatria (v0.2.1, Seshat Global History Databank, CC BY 4.0), the dataset behind our interactive map, with our audited name and border corrections. It records each state's territory year by year from 3400 BC to 2024. Borders before modern surveys are reconstructions: the data draws a state where it held control, and frontier zones, nomadic realms and loose overlordships are approximate. Areas are measured on an equal-area projection. Read how we make our maps.

Europe in other years

Other regions in 1938