Europe from Moscow / Asia from Irkutsk (1952)
Alarmist Cold War map illustrates the "Domino Theory"
This cold war map shows the threat of the Soviet Union in Europe and Asia. The perspective of the map of Europe, and the progression of colors from dark to light, make it look as if Soviet tanks could simply roll downhill into the heart of Western Europe.
The same is true for the map of Asia. Moreover, because the earth is tilted away from the viewer, distances at the top of the map have been foreshortened. For example, the distance from Paris to Lisbon on this map appears to be about the same as the distance from Moscow to Leningrad, when in fact it is more than twice as great. This increases the apparent threat to Western Europe.
The publisher of Time Magazine, along with Life and Fortune, was Henry Luce, the most powerful American media figure of his era and a fierce anti-communist. Baughman 2001, 1-5. Robert M. Chapin was an artist and long-time “Chief Cartographer” for Time. This map originally appeared in the issue of March 10, 1952 and was reprinted in large format for classroom use.
Title: Europe from Moscow / Asia from Irkutsk
Creator: Chapin, Robert M.
Date: 1952
Source: P.J. Mode collection of persuasive cartography, #8548. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.