1945 Life Magazine Map of the Eastern Hemisphere w/ Russian Naval Battles

This is a 1945 LIFE Magazine map of the Eastern Hemisphere highlighting Russian naval history and Soviet naval capability. This map was published only months after the end of World War II (1939 - 1945) as relations between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union were rapidly deteriorating. Red stars with anchors mark Soviet naval bases, each of which is labeled. Two potential Soviet naval bases in Libya and Eritrea, are labeled as well. A dashed line along the coast of Siberia traces the Northeast Passage, a key transportation route during World War II.

Russian Naval History

Text boxes reference four historic naval battles: The Battle of Hango in 1714, the Battle of Chesme in 1770, the Battle of Sinope in 1853, and the Battle of Tsushima Strait in 1905. The Battle of Hango was the first major naval victory in the history of the Russian navy. The Battle of Chesme was a major Russian victory during the Russo-Tukish War (1768 - 1774) and was the greatest naval defeat of the Ottomans since the 1571 Battle of Lepanto. The Battle of Sinope was a precursor to the Crimean War (1854 - 1856) and was another major naval victory for the Russians over the Ottomans. The last of these four battles, the 1905 Battle of Tsushima Strait, has been deemed one of the most important naval engagements in world history, where a major power, the Imperial Russian Navy, was defeated by the 'upstart' Japanese.

Publication History and Census

This map is an enlargement of a map that was created for LIFE Magazine. A smaller version of the map was published in the December 17, 1945 issue of LIFE Magazine.