Composed in late 1945 by the United States Central Intelligence Agency, Changing face of Europe and colonial tension captures the fragile interlude between victory and the geopolitical order that would soon harden into the Cold War. The map’s disciplined color system and authoritative legend translate the turmoil of armistice into an intelligible briefing: national borders newly adjusted, occupation zones imposed, and spheres of influence beginning to crystallize. It is an executive snapshot of a continent in flux—Germany provisionally partitioned, Italy recast, and France reemergent—set against an Atlantic horizon that pulls North America into Europe’s fate. As a visual record of the immediate postwar settlement, it distills decisions made at Yalta and Potsdam into an at-a-glance portrait of power, tension, and the uncertain peace to come.

Nowhere is the map’s prescience clearer than in its treatment of Soviet power. Regions shaded in pink mark the consolidation of a political glacis from the Baltic to the Balkans—Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia prominent among the states sliding into the Soviet orbit. The cartography hints at Poland’s dramatic westward shift and underscores the strategic logic of a buffer zone buttressing the Soviet Union. Across Germany, occupation areas are delineated, signaling a divided polity that, while not yet two states, is already two systems in gestation. What would soon be labeled an Iron Curtain is here rendered as a chromatic frontier, a visual prelude to the ideological, military, and economic bifurcation that would define European affairs for the next half-century.

Western and Southern Europe appear as counterweights in this unfolding balance of power. The United Kingdom retains global commitments even as it leads continental recovery efforts alongside France, while Italy—fresh from armistice and internal realignment—re-enters the European mainstream. Norway anchors the northern flank of a maritime space that ties European security to transatlantic strength. The inclusion of the United States and Canada on the same sheet is telling: it situates Europe’s reconstruction within a wider Atlantic system that would soon coalesce into enduring partnerships. This is a map of alignments in embryo, a study of how geography, logistics, and ideology converge to shape the institutions and alliances that followed.

Just as striking is the map’s treatment of empire. Careful shading identifies British, French, and other colonial spheres, from Egypt and South Africa to British Guiana, while India—on the cusp of 1947 independence—signals the gathering momentum of decolonization. The cartography situates European metropoles within their global networks, making clear that postwar settlements in Berlin or Paris reverberated in Cairo, Delhi, and Georgetown. In East Asia, the inclusion of China and Japan captures a shifting strategic theater: Japan under occupation and China entering a decisive civil conflict. Australia’s prominence underscores the Pacific’s growing weight in postwar planning. The result is a rare synthesis—Europe’s redrawn borders set within a world system whose imperial scaffolding is visibly beginning to give way.

Designed as Map 2 and bearing the CIA reference 503740 4-78 (541369), this work reads like a masterclass in geopolitical clarity. Countries are cleanly labeled, the legend is exacting, and the color coding makes complex relationships immediately legible—Soviet-dominated regions in pink, colonial affiliations in distinctive tones, contested spaces signposted with care. For the historian, it is a primary lens on 1945’s unsettled equilibrium; for the collector, it is a statement piece that unites Europe’s reconstruction with the first tremors of decolonization. Above all, it is a lucid, authoritative artifact that freezes the world at the hinge of two eras—war’s end and the long, anxious dawn of the Cold War.

Places on this map

• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Poland
• Germany
• France
• Italy
• United Kingdom
• Soviet Union
• Hungary
• Czechoslovakia
• Norway
• Egypt
• South Africa
• British Guiana
• Cuba
• India
• China
• Japan
• Australia

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Color Coding: Different colors to represent countries based on their political status and colonial connections.
• Soviet-dominated Regions: Identified in pink, showing areas under satellite states or influence.
• Colonial Regions: Countries and territories marked with different shades to depict colonial powers (British, French, etc.).
• Key Regions Labeled: Countries like Poland, Germany, and various colonial territories are prominently labeled.
• Legend: A legend detailing the color coding for understanding political and colonial influences.

Historical and design context

• Title: Changing face of Europe and colonial tension, late 1945
• Source: Created by the United States Central Intelligence Agency in 1945.
• Purpose: The map documents the political landscape of Europe at the end of World War II, showcasing shifts in national borders, occupation zones, and the early postwar balance of power.
• Soviet Influence: It highlights countries under or transitioning into Soviet influence, visually representing the emerging divide between Eastern and Western Europe.
• Decolonization: Additionally, it identifies colonial holdings and areas of tension, marking the onset of postwar decolonization efforts.
• Historical Context: Reflects post-World War II geopolitical dynamics and foreshadows the Cold War's ideological divisions.
• Themes: National borders, colonialism, Soviet expansion, and decolonization.
• Reference Information: Designated as Map 2, with CIA reference number 503740 4-78 (541369).

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

This map is wider than most maps, which would make it a perfect statement piece above a mantelpiece, sofa or desk.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.