As media of communications, maps can relate more than just factual geographic information. They also can be constructed to convey a wide range of other messages, including ideas meant to persuade viewers to adopt specific political views. Such constructions usually are subtle modifications in emphasis rather than products containing inaccurate information. This doctoral dissertation research project will examine the ways in which maps produced in Germany between 1919 and 1945 were designed to convey political messages. Through careful examination of maps and related materials, the investigators will attempt to answer the following questions: What individuals and groups were involved in the creation of politically persuasive maps, and what were the roles of governmental agencies in contrast to private organizations and academic groups? For which audiences were these maps constructed? What was the scope of the political messages included in these maps? How did these maps influence public opinion? Research to answer these questions will include inspection of materials in archives in the United States and in Germany. This research will shed light on the specific ways in which maps were used as means of political communication by a variety of groups in Germany between the two world wars, thereby providing improved understandings of the processes operating in that nation during a critical period in world history. More importantly, the project will elucidate the general ways in which maps have been produced, disseminated, and received as media of political persuasion, thereby complementing understanding gained of the propagandizing processes of other media. This project also will provide an excellent opportunity for a promising graduate student to expand and refine his basic research skills.
