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Historical map · 1940

Map of Europe in 1940

In 1940, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 29 states, empires and other polities in Europe. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Nazi Germany and Vichy France. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics reached well beyond Europe: its whole territory measured about 21.8 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Europe in 1940. 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 1940 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1940
Atlas map: Propaganda and the Cult (1939)
FROM THE ATLAS · THE SOVIET UNION UNDER STALIN, CHAPTER 8: PROPAGANDA AND THE CULT (1939)

States and empires in Europe in 1940

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Wikipedia2.9 million km²21.8 million km²1922–1991
Nazi Germany Wikipedia1.6 million km²1.6 million km²1933–1944
Vichy France Wikipedia835,000 km²11.0 million km²1940–1944
Republic of Turkey Wikipedia768,000 km²768,000 km²1924–2024
French Africa Wikipedia568,000 km²9.5 million km²1846–1957
Francoist Spain Wikipedia509,000 km²854,000 km²1939–1975
Kingdom of Sweden Wikipedia455,000 km²455,000 km²980–2024
Republic of Finland Wikipedia344,000 km²344,000 km²1918–2024
Kingdom of Norway Wikipedia342,000 km²418,000 km²1814–2024
Kingdom of Italy Wikipedia325,000 km²326,000 km²587–1946
British Empire Wikipedia280,000 km²16.9 million km²1706–1999
United Kingdom Wikipedia277,000 km²691,000 km²1709–2024
Yugoslavia Wikipedia246,000 km²246,000 km²1919–1991
Kingdom of Romania Wikipedia245,000 km²245,000 km²1919–1947
French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon Wikipedia187,000 km²196,000 km²1920–1945
Kingdom of Iraq Wikipedia176,000 km²434,000 km²1932–1957
Kingdom of Hungary Wikipedia122,000 km²122,000 km²1849–2024
Greece Wikipedia118,000 km²118,000 km²1822–1940
Kingdom of Iceland Wikipedia111,000 km²111,000 km²1918–1943
Kingdom of Bulgaria Wikipedia102,000 km²102,000 km²1909–1946
Portugal (Estado Novo) Wikipedia92,000 km²2.2 million km²1926–2024
Éire (Ireland)75,000 km²75,000 km²1938–2024
Swiss Confederation Wikipedia41,000 km²41,000 km²1294–2024
Netherlands Wikipedia37,000 km²2.1 million km²1811–2024
Pahlavi Iran Wikipedia15,000 km²1.6 million km²1924–1978
Greenland Wikipedia12,000 km²2.2 million km²1734–1940
British Africa Wikipedia2,700 km²6.3 million km²1885–1960
Denmark Wikipedia1,420 km²1,420 km²1046–1940
Principality of Andorra Wikipedia380 km²380 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 1939

New on the map: Vichy France, British Africa.

Gone from the map: French Third Republic, Second Polish Republic, Republic of Latvia, Republic of Lithuania, Estonia, Kingdom of Belgium, Free City of Danzig, Luxembourg.

What comes next: 1942

Appear by 1942: Independent State of Croatia, United States of America.

Gone by 1942: Kingdom of Norway, Yugoslavia, Greece, Netherlands, Pahlavi Iran, Greenland, Denmark.

Read the history of 1940

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 1940?

The map data draws 29 states and other polities in Europe in 1940. The largest by land were the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Nazi Germany, Vichy France, the Republic of Turkey and the French Africa.

What was the largest empire in Europe in 1940?

Of the states on this map, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics held the most land in total: about 21.8 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Europe in 1940 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1940, 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 1940