How WWI Pushed National Geographic into Mapmaking

Quick Summary

• During World War II, National Geographic Society (NGS) maintained maps with pre-war borders to highlight what was at stake amidst Nazi Germany’s territorial expansion.
• NGS had been producing maps as 1915, establishing itself as a key player in cartography during wartime efforts and beyond.
• The first in-house map from NGS in 1918 (“Map of the Western Theater of war”) marked a turning point for cartographic precision.
• Chief cartographer Albert H. Bumstead advanced innovative mapping techniques before his passing in 1940; successor James Darley continued pushing for accuracy and innovation.
• By World War II’s onset, Nat Geo was internationally recognized for its maps. It supplied President Roosevelt and Allied leaders with detailed territories critical for military strategy post-Pearl Harbor attacks.
• “Germany and its Approaches” (July 1944), an influential Nat Geo map supplement, helped Allied troops navigate Europe during operations while offering civilians insight into war progress.
• These maps aided military logistics-20,000 copies were posted at strategic locations by the U.S. Army Corps-and influenced postwar planning like occupation zones mapping after Nazi defeat.
• Between 1939-1945, over half a million paper and linen maps were distributed by Nat Geo to U.S government agencies such as the OSS (now CIA), alongside public magazine supplements sent to members.

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