Global 1940 2nd Edition Map Analysis

SECTION 3B:
CANADA BLOCK: Selective Notes

Canada had been offered the status of a self-governing Commonwealth Dominion under the 1931 Statute of Westminster (which similarly applied to Newfoundland, Eire, the Union of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand).  Canada has its own distinct roundel on the G40/2 map, but under the Global 1940 OOB rules it is not an independent player power and its income is collected by the United Kingdom.  In this inventory, Canada is therefore listed in its own section, which is placed after the Section 2 entries for South Africa (which has no distinct roundel and does not have the status of a player power) but before the Section 4 entries for Australia and New Zealand (which do have a distinct joint roundel and do have the status of a collective player power).  Eire is listed in Section 12 owing to its neutral status.

SECTION 4A:
ANZAC BLOCK: G40/2 Map Inventory

HOMELAND TERRITORIES OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

[Australia]

• New South Wales
• Northern Territory
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Western Australia
• Victoria

[New Zealand]

• New Zealand

TERRITORIES UNDER ANZAC JURISDICTION

• New Britain
• New Guinea
• Solomon Islands

SECTION 4B:
ANZAC BLOCK: Selective Notes

HOMELAND TERRITORIES OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

Disputable map situation:
Australia and New Zealand are two separate countries, both of which were offered the status of self-governing Commonwealth Dominions under the 1931 Statute of Westminster, but under the Global 1940 OOB rules they are treated as a collective entity (ANZAC) which functions as a player power.

TERRITORIES UNDER ANZAC JURISDICTION

Disputable map situation:

• New Britain
  New Britain (the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago) is shown on the G40/2 map as being an ANZAC possession, but it was actually administer by Australia at the time of WWII.  It formed part of the Territory of New Guinea, whose status is described in more detail in the next entry.

Disputable map situation:

• New Guinea
  The eastern half of the island of New Guinea is depicted on the G40/2 map as a single territory called “New Guinea” which carries an ANZAC roundel.  At the time of WWII, the eastern half of the island of New Guinea (known collectively as the Territories of Papua and New Guinea) was actually administered by Australia and consisted of two distinct regions.  The southeastern region of the island, originally the British-controlled Territory of Papua, was transferred to Australian jurisdiction in 1906.  The Territory of New Guinea, which comprised the northeastern region of the island of New Guinea as well as the Bismarck Archipelago, had originally been known as German New Guinea; it was placed under an Australian mandate at the end of WWI by the League of Nations.  Japan invaded the Territory of New Guinea in January 1942 and soon occupied the northeastern region of the island as well as the Bismarck Archipelago (including New Britain).  Japan invaded and occupied the western half of the island of New Guinea (Dutch New Guinea) in March 1942, as will be discussed in Section 8.  Japan failed to achieve its objective of conquering the Territory of Papua.

Disputable map situation:

• Solomon Islands
  The Solomon Islands are shown on the G40/2 map as being an ANZAC possession, but they were actually a British territory at the time of WWII.  Although the Japanese occupied most of the Solomons in the first half of 1942, their control of the region started to be challenged in August 1942 with the American landings at Guadalcanal.

SECTION 5A:
SOVIET UNION BLOCK: G40/2 Map Inventory

HOMELAND TERRITORIES OF THE SOVIET UNION

• Amur
• Archangel
• Belarus
• Bryansk
• Buryatia
• Caucasus
• Evenkiyskiy
• Karelia
• Kazakhstan
• Nenetsia
• Novgorod
• Novosibirsk
• Rostov
• Russia
• Sakha
• Samara
• Siberia
• Smolensk
• Soviet Far East
• Tambov
• Timguska
• Turkmenistan
• Ukraine
• Urals
• Volgograd
• Vologda
• Western Ukraine
• Yakut S.S.R.
• Yenisey

TERRITORIES OCCUPIED BY THE SOVIET UNION

• Baltic States
• Bessarabia
• Eastern Poland
• Vyborg

SECTION 5B:
SOVIET UNION BLOCK: Selective Notes

TERRITORIES OCCUPIED BY THE SOVIET UNION

Disputable map situation:

• Baltic States
  The Baltic States (comprising Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) were annexed by the USSR between September 1939 and August 1940, the latter date being two months after the June 1940 starting date of the game.

• Bessarabia
  Bessarabia, which had previously been a part of Romania, was annexed by the USSR in June 1940.  Romania joined the Axis in July 1940 and eventually participated in the Axis war against the Soviet Union which started in June 1941, reappropriating Bessarabia in the process.

• Eastern Poland
  The eastern part of Poland was invaded by the USSR in September 1939 and occupied.

• Vyborg
  The area labeled “Vyborg” on the G40/2 map corresponds more or less to the Karelian Isthmus.  It was originally part of Finland, but it was annexed by the USSR in March 1940 following the Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-1940.  Finland, fighting as an Axis co-belligerent, reappropriated it in June 1941 when Germany invaded the Soviet Union.

SECTION 6A:
FRANCE BLOCK: G40/2 Map Inventory

HOMELAND TERRITORIES OF FRANCE

• France
• Normandy / Bordeaux
• Southern France

TERRITORIES UNDER FRENCH JURISDICTION

• Algeria
• French Central Africa
• French Equatorial Africa
• French Guiana
• French Indo-China
• French Madagascar
• French West Africa
• Morocco
• New Hebrides
• Syria
• Tunisia

SECTION 6B:
FRANCE BLOCK: Selective Notes (part 1)

The Global 1940 OOB rules do not depict the historical establishment of either the Vichy regime or of the Free French forces after France’s surrender in late June 1940.  Instead, the rules depict an alternate-history scenario in which France continues to fight on the Allied side as a single entity, though in a role which is extremely marginal due to the rule restrictions under which it operates.

Historically, the part of France which is identified on the game map simply as “France” was invaded by Germany in May 1940.  The capitulation of France in June 1940 resulted in the German occupation of this area and of the area identified on the game map as “Normandy / Bordeaux.”  The area identified on the game map as “Southern France” became a so-called “unoccupied zone” in June 1940; this zone was administered by the Vichy regime, whose capital was located there.  The Vichy-controlled zone was occupied by Germany and Italy in November 1942, following the Operation Torch landings by the Allies in North Africa.  France’s homeland territories were liberated between June and August 1944 following the Overlord landings in Normandy and the Anvil-Dragoon landings in southern France.

Historically, most of the territories of the French colonial empire initially came under Vichy control, but some of them joined the Free French side immediately; others joined the Free French later or were captured by the Allies and handed over to Free French control.  With the liberation of France in the summer of 1944, all French territories still nominally under Vichy control came under the jurisdiction of the new provisional French government.

It should be noted that at the time of WWII the New Hebrides were a colonial territory jointly administered by France and Britain as an Anglo-French Condominium.

SECTION 6C:
FRANCE BLOCK: Selective Notes (part 2)

The historical status changes of France’s G40/2 map territories were as follows:

HOMELAND TERRITORIES OF FRANCE

• France
  Occupied by Germany, June 1940; liberated in the summer of 1944.

• Normandy / Bordeaux
  Occupied by Germany, June 1940; liberated in the summer of 1944.

• Southern France
  Became the Vichy-controlled “Unoccupied Zone” in June 1940; occupied by Germany and Italy in November 1942; liberated in the summer of 1944.

TERRITORIES UNDER FRENCH JURISDICTION

• Algeria
  Became Vichy-controlled in June 1940; occupied by the Allies and the Free French in November 1942.

• French Central Africa
  Became Vichy-controlled in June 1940.

• French Equatorial Africa
  Joined the Free French in June 1940 (except for Gabon); the Gabon region was eventually seized by the Free French in November 1940.

• French Guiana
  Became Vichy-controlled in June 1940; joined the Free French in 1943.

• French Indo-China
  Became Vichy-controlled in June 1940; invaded by Japan in September 1940 but remained under nominal Vichy control.  As a result of the Franco-Thai War of October 1940 to May 1941, Vichy ceded a number of FIC provinces to Siam (Thailand).  In March 1945, Japan took complete control of FIC.

• French Madagascar
  Became Vichy-controlled in June 1940; invaded and occupied by Britain in September 1942; transferred to the Free French in January 1943.

• French West Africa
  Became Vichy-controlled in June 1940.

• Morocco
  Became Vichy-controlled in June 1940; occupied by the Allies and the Free French in November 1942.

Disputable map situation:

• New Hebrides
  Joined the Free French in June 1940.  The New Hebrides were a colonial territory jointly administered by France and Britain as an Anglo-French Condominium

• Syria
  Became Vichy-controlled in June 1940; occupied by the Allies and the Free French in July 1941.

• Tunisia
  Became Vichy-controlled in June 1940; occupied by the Allies and the Free French in May 1943.

SECTION 7A:
CHINA BLOCK: G40/2 Map Inventory

HOMELAND TERRITORIES OF CHINA

• Anhwe
• Chahar
• Hopei
• Hunan
• Jehol
• Kansu
• Kiangsi
• Kiangsu
• Kwangsi
• Kweichow
• Manchuria
• Shantung
• Shensi
• Sikang
• Suiyuyan
• Szechwan
• Tsinghai
• Yunnan

SECTION 7B:
CHINA BLOCK: Selective Notes (part 1)

China, the only nation on the G40/2 map which starts the game with its homeland territory under partial occupation by an enemy power, is depicted using map conventions which give a misleading impression of the Chinese territories that were controlled by Japan in June 1940.

Like many of the world’s land and sea areas, China does not have the same size and shape on the G40/2 map as it does in reality.  The country is only about half as wide on the game map as it ought to be relative to its height, with most of the compression taking place in China’s western half.  Because of these size and shape distortions, the orange borders which show the provinces already occupied by Japan at the June 1940 starting date of the game approximate only vaguely the actual Japanese lines of control which existed at that moment of WWII.  The western salients of the Japanese lines appear much too shallow, the curved gap between them appears much too wide, and the names of the provinces inside and outside these orange borders do not reflect with complete accuracy the areas which Japan actually controlled.  For example Anhwe (also known as Anhwei and Anhui) is shown on the game map as being held by China, whereas most of it was actually occupied by Japan.

A further misrepresentation is the fact that the G40/2 map depicts all the Chinese coastal provinces (except Kwangtung) as being fully under Japanese control.  In reality, Japan comprehensively occupied China’s coastal provinces only as far south as Chekiang (which is not depicted separately on the game map, the closest map equivalent being Kiangsu).  South of Chekiang, Japan only took control of the Chinese coast’s port cities and of their surrounding areas, with the aim of cutting off China from supply by sea without having to occupy the entire coastline.

The G40/2 map labels 18 territories with Chinese roundels.  The Global 1940 OOB rules state that all these territories are considered Chinese for purposes of original ownership, even if they start the game under Japanese occupation (as denoted by the map’s orange borders).  The Chinese island of Hainan, however, violates this convention: it bears a Japanese roundel, despite the fact that it was a Chinese territory and that it was not occupied by Japan until February 1939.  This inconsistency is probably intended to justify the rule restriction which prevents Chinese units from being loaded onto naval transports because, in principle, Chinese forces are allowed to enter any territory marked with a Chinese roundel.

It should be noted that the dot shown in Szechwan at the terminus of the Burma Road corresponds approximately to Chungking, the wartime capital of the Republic of China.

It should be noted that the game map territory of Shensi corresponds roughly to an area which, from the mid-1930s onward, was under the control of the Chinese Communist Party rather than under the control of the Republic of China.  Shaanxi Province was the location of the Chinese Communist Party’s northernmost political council in 1934, and was the destination of the Long March of 1934-1935.  It served as the CCP’s power base and training centre during the Second World War.  The city of Yan’an (Yenan in older sources), located in central Shaanxi, was from 1937 onward the seat of the communist government of what became known as the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border region.

SECTION 7C:
CHINA BLOCK: Selective Notes (part 2)

HOMELAND TERRITORIES OF CHINA

• Jehol
  Jehol, a de jure province of the Republic of China, was invaded by Japan in January 1933 and annexed to the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo.

• Kiangsi
  The region depicted on the game map as Kiangsi corresponds roughly to an area of China whose port cities were occupied by Japan in 1938 and 1939.

• Kiangsu
  The region depicted on the game map as Kiangsu corresponds roughly to an area of China which was occupied by Japan in 1937 and 1938.

• Kwangsi
  The region depicted on the game map as Kwangsi corresponds roughly to an area of China whose port cities were occupied by Japan in 1938 and 1939.

• Manchuria
  Manchuria, an area over which China, Russia and Japan had exerted varying degrees of influence since the mid-19th century, was invaded by Japan in September 1931 and transformed into the puppet state of Manchukuo.

• Shantung
  The region depicted on the game map as Shantung corresponds roughly to an area of China which was occupied by Japan in 1937 and 1938.

• Shensi
  Power base of the Chinese Communist Party during WWII.

• Szechwan
  Location of Chungking, the wartime capital of the Republic of China.

SECTION 8A:
NETHERLANDS BLOCK: G40/2 Map Inventory

TERRITORIES UNDER DUTCH JURISDICTION

[Dutch East Indies]

• Celebes

• Dutch New Guinea

• Java

• Sumatra

• Suriname

SECTION 8B:
NETHERLANDS BLOCK: Selective Notes

Japan invaded the Dutch East Indies in December 1941 and occupied them completely by March 1942.  The Netherlands are not a player power under the Global 1940 OOB rules, but the Dutch colonial territories of the Dutch East Indies and Suriname carry a distinct roundel.  During the Japanese campaign to conquer the Dutch East Indies and Malaysia, the American, British, Dutch and Australian forces which tried to halt the Japanese advance in this region operated briefly under a joint command structure called ABDACOM.

SECTION 9A:
GERMANY BLOCK: G40/2 Map Inventory

HOMELAND TERRITORIES OF GERMANY

• Germany
• Western Germany

TERRITORIES OCCUPIED BY GERMANY

• Denmark
• Greater Southern Germany
• Holland / Belgium
• Norway
• Poland

WARTIME ALLIES OF GERMANY

• Romania
• Slovakia / Hungary

SECTION 9B:
GERMANY BLOCK: Selective Notes

TERRITORIES OCCUPIED BY GERMANY

• Denmark
  Denmark was invaded an occupied by Germany in April 1940.

• Greater Southern Germany
  The area labeled “Greater Southern Germany” on the game map corresponds essentially to Austria and Czechoslovakia.  Austria was annexed by Germany in March 1938.  The Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia was annexed by Germany in September 1938; most of the rest of the country (except for some territorial adjustments such as the creation of the Slovak Republic and the transfer of South Dobrudja to Bulgaria) was annexed by Germany in March 1939.

• Holland / Belgium
  Holland and Belgium, which are treated as a collective entity on the game map but are actually two separate countries, were invaded by Germany in May 1940 and occupied.

• Norway
  Norway was invaded by Germany in April 1940 and occupied.

• Poland
  The western part of Poland, which on the game map is identified simply as “Poland,” was invaded by Germany in September 1939 and occupied.

WARTIME ALLIES OF GERMANY

• Romania
  Romania joined the Axis in July 1940.  It eventually participated in the Axis war against the USSR which started in June 1941, to which it contributed 800,000 troops.

• Slovakia / Hungary
  The Slovak Republic was a German client state created in 1939 when Czechoslovakia was dismantled.  It participated in the German invasion of Poland and later contributed 20,000 men to the Axis war against USSR… Hungary signed the Tripartite Pact on in November 1940, and joined in the invasion of the Soviet Union the next year, contributing 500,000 troops to the Axis war on the Eastern Front.

SECTION 10A:
JAPAN BLOCK: G40/2 Map Inventory

HOMELAND TERRITORY OF JAPAN

• Japan

TERRITORIES UNDER JAPANESE JURISDICTION

• Caroline Islands
• Iwo Jima
• Formosa
• Korea
• Marianas
• Marshall Islands
• Okinawa
• Paulau Island

TERRITORIES OCCUPIED BY JAPAN

• Hainan

WARTIME ALLIES OF JAPAN

• Siam (Thailand)

SECTION 10B:
JAPAN BLOCK: Selective Notes

TERRITORIES OCCUPIED BY JAPAN

Disputable map situation:

• Hainan
  Hainan was actually a Chinese island when the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937.  It was invaded and occupied by Japan in February 1939.

WARTIME ALLIES OF JAPAN

Disputable map situation:

• Siam (Thailand)
  Thailand (called Siam on the G40/2 map) was an independent nation with an army of about 60,000 relatively well-equipped men.  In WWII, it was essentially a co-belligerent of Japan.  Thailand launched the Franco-Thai War in October 1940, from which it eventually gained a few provinces of French Indo-China under a Japanese-mediated settlement.  The Thai government allowed Japan to transit through Thailand when the Japanese moved against Burma in early December 1941; Thailand signed a formal military alliance with Japan later that month.  Thailand technically declared war on the US and the UK in January 1942.  Thailand was allowed by Japan to annex parts of the Shan States in Burma and parts of northern Malaya. The Japanese roundel on the G40/2 map is premature for the June 1940 starting date of the game, but arguably valid for a Japanese co-belligerent from October 1940 onward.

SECTION 11A:
ITALY BLOCK: G40/2 Map Inventory

HOMELAND TERRITORIES OF ITALY

• Northern Italy
• Sardinia
• Sicily
• Southern Italy

TERRITORIES UNDER ITALIAN JURISDICTION

[Libya]

• Libya

• Tobruk

• Italian Somaliland

TERRITORIES OCCUPIED BY ITALY

• Albania
• Ethiopia

SECTION 11B:
ITALY BLOCK: Selective Notes

TERRITORIES UNDER ITALIAN JURISDICTION

• Italian Somaliland
  Britain invaded Italian Somaliland in early 1941, conquered most of it by May, and completed its conquest in November of that year.

TERRITORIES OCCUPIED BY ITALY

• Albania
  Albania was invaded and annexed by Italy in April 1939.

• Ethiopia
  Ethiopia (also known as Abyssinia) was invaded by Italy in October 1935 and annexed in May 1936. Britain invaded Italian-ruled Ethiopia in early 1941 and completed its liberation in May of that year.

SECTION 12A:
“PRO-ALLIED NEUTRAL” BLOCK: G40/2 Map Inventory

[Greece]

• Greece
• Crete

[Persia (Iran)]

• Eastern Persia

• Northwest Persia

• Persia

• Brazil

• Eire

• Yugoslavia