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Watch the Second World War unfold over Europe in 7 minutes

YouTube user EmperorTigerstar has painstakingly mapped the changing front lines of World War II in Europe. Incredibly, the map accounts for every single day of the war — from the invasion of Poland through to the surrender of Nazi Germany.

This timelapse offers a fascinating glimpse into the ebbs and flows of the 6-year long conflict. Watching it, you can see how the front lines often moved in fits and starts (often an indication of winter and the infamous Russian spring rasputitsa), and how a sudden alliance or overthrow dramatically changed the geopolitical landscape. It’s also interesting to see the massive encirclements on the Eastern front pop up and disappear from time-to-time (Stalingrad being the best example).

Unfortunately, it doesn’t show the impacts of the Allied bombing campaign, nor does it account for partisan action.

Key dates to watch out for:

September 1, 1939: Germany invades Poland (watch the Soviets move in to take their half starting September 17)

April 9, 1940: Germany invades Norway

May 10, 1940: Germany invades France

April 6, 1941: Germany invades Yugoslavia and Greece

June 22, 1941: Germany invades Soviet Union

November 25, 1941: The Battle for Moscow

July 3, 1942: Sevastopol falls to Germany

October 23, 1942: Battle of El Alamein begins

January 31, 1943: German surrender at Stalingrad

March 15, 1943: Germans retake Kharkov

May 12, 1943: Surrender of Axis forces in North Africa

July 10, 1943: Allied landings in Sicily (Operation Husky)

June 4, 1944: Rome captured by Allies

June 6, 1944: Allied invasion of Normandy (D-Day)

August 15, 1944: Allied landings in South of France

August 25, 1944: Paris liberated

January 17, 1945: Soviets capture Warsaw

April 13, 1945: Soviets capture Vienna

April 23, 1945: Soviets enter Berlin

May 8, 1945: VE Day declared

The Legend:

Maroon = Axis Powers proper and annexed lands (Germany, Italy, etc.)

Burgundy = Areas militarily occupied by the Axis powers, but not annexed

Red = Puppet states

Pinkish-red = Gains that day made by the Axis Powers.

According to EmperorTigerstar, he’s working on a video for WWII worldwide.

If this interests you, you’ll probably find this fascinating as well: 1,000 years of global war in 5 minutes. Also, an Interactive Timeline of Every Protest on the Earth Since 1979.

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