THE BALKANS CAMPAIGN
By GENERALSTAB DES HEERES ABTEILUNG FUR KRIEGSKARTEN UND VERMESSUNGSWESEN , 1944
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The 'Planheft' and a collection of 'Militargeographische' packets for the Southeastern Europe and the Balkan Peninsula.

Eastern Europe Europe
  • Author: GENERALSTAB DES HEERES ABTEILUNG FUR KRIEGSKARTEN UND VERMESSUNGSWESEN
  • Publication place: Berlin
  • Publication date: 15th May 1940 – 20th April 1944.
  • Inventory reference: 15975

Notes

Price $190,000 — sold as a collection.

The Balkans Campaign began with the invasion of Greece by Italy on the 28th of October, 1940, and intensified dramatically on April 6th, 1941 when the German army, supported by Hungarian and Bulgarian forces, attacked Yugoslavia and Greece. For the next four years a “vicious partisan conflict… raged across the Balkans” (National Army Museum online).

DANUBE REGION AND BALKAN PENINSULA

– ‘Planheft Balkan’. Berlin: Im Aufträge der Abteilung für Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen im Generalstab des Heeres bearbeitet von der Heeresplankammer, 1940. Folio. 68 pages of text, 2 folding maps, 7 full-page maps; original green printed stiff paper boards, stapled and laced as issued. With Supplement II: ‘Nachtrag zum Planheft Balkan’, dated 20.IV.41, with 23 further maps, one or two folding, supplied in original wrap-around band.
Provenance: With the shelfmarks and library labels of the Pentagon Library, deaccessioned after 9/11.

– ‘Sudost-Europa. Donauraum und Balkanhalbinsel. Ein militargeographischer Uberlich. Abgeschlossen 15. Marz 1940’. Berlin: Generalstab des Heeres Abteilung fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen, 1940. Original green stiff printed paper wallet.

Contents:
1. ‘Militargeographische Uberlich uber Sudost-Europa (Donauraum und Balkanhalbinsel). Abgeschlossen 15.3.1940’. 8vo., 295 pages of text; original green printed paper wrappers.
2. ‘Sudosteuropa… Nordblatt’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 1 000 000. Northern territories.
3. ‘Sudosteuropa… Sudblatt’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 1 000 000. Southern territories.
4. ‘Landschaftsgliederung…’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 3 000 000. Showing regional outlines, and with a gazetteer on verso.
5. ‘Die Volker des…’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 3 000 000. Showing population by ethnicity.
6. ‘Ubersicht der Kartenwerke’. Large folding map with over-printing. 1 : 3 000 000. Index map.
7. ‘Militargeographische Operationskarte… Norwestblatt’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 1 000 000. Showing military operations.
8. ‘Militargeographische Operationskarte… Sudostblatt’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 1 000 000. Showing military operations.
9. MISSING – RAILWAY MAP
10. ‘Nachtrage zu Sudost-Europa Donauraum und Balkanhalbinsel. Ein militargeographischer Uberlich. Stand vom 1.12.1940’. Berlin: 1941. Small (8vo.,) portfolio. 6 loose leaves of text, dated 5th January 1941, large folding colour printed map ‘Ubersichtskarte von Rumanien (Grenzen am 30.8.1940)’, 3 folding tissue overlay maps; original green printed paper folder. Supplemental material, not called for.

ROMANIA

– Landschaftsbilder Rumanien. Berlin: Generalstab des Heeres Abteilung fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen, 1940. 8vo., 62 pages of photographs; original buff printed paper wrappers.
Provenance: with the accession label and shelfmarks of the Pentagon library, deaccessioned after 9/11.
Germany was dependent on Romania’s oilfields during WWII, and by November 1940, German troops were amassing in the south preparing for an attack on Greece through Bulgaria.

BULGARIA

– Bulgarien. Allgemeine Angaben sowie Beschreibun der Hauptverbindungstrassen von der Donau uber die bulg. Griech. Grenze nach Nordgriechenland und zur bulg. Turk. Grenze. [Berlin:] Generastab des Heeres – O. Qu. IV. Abt. Fremde Heere Ost (I), December 1940. 8vo., 14 leaves of text, 3 folding maps in pockets; original red printed paper wrappers.
Provenance: with the ink stamp of the Third Reich and other official stamps on the front cover and title-page.

Contents:

1. ‘Strassenkarte Bulgarien. Anlage 1: “Die Hauptverbindungs Strassen Bulgariens”‘. Large folding colour printed map, with over-printing. 1 : 600 000. General topographical map, showing the main routes between Belgrade, Sofia and Saloniki.
2. ‘Strassenkarte Bulgarien. Anlage 2 zu: “Die Hauptverbindungs Strassenbulgariens”‘. Large folding colour printed map, with over-printing. 1 : 600 000. General topographical map, showing the main routes between Bucuresti (Bukarest) Plovdiv, and Istanbul.
3. ‘Kires-Karte Bulgarien. Anlage 3 zu: “Die Hauptverbindungs Strassen Bulgariens”‘. Large folding uncoloured lithographed map. 1 : 1 000 000. Showing the main roads through Bulgaria.

Bulgaria was initially a ‘neutral’ country at the onset of World War II. However, from March of 1941, she was forced into a pact with the Axis powers, which would allow the German army to march through to aid the Italians in their conquest of Greece.

YUGOSLAVIA

– Militargeographische Beschreibung von Jugoslawien. Abgeschlossen 15. Juni 1940. Berlin: Generalstab des Heeres Abteilung für Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen (IV.Mil.Geo.), 1940. Original green printed stiff paper wallet.
Provenance: with the ink stamp of the Third Reich, and a contemporary manuscript note recording receipt in German on the inside front cover; near contemporary ink library stamp of a Slovenian institution on the front cover.

Contents:
1. ‘…Text- und Bildheft’. 8vo., 91 pages of text, 81 pages of photographs; original white printed paper wrappers.
2. ‘JugoslawienUbersicht und Landschaftsgliederung’. Large folding colour printed map, with over-printing. 1 : 1 000 000. General topographical map.
3. ‘Jugoslawien / Strassennetz’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 1 000 000. Showing the main roads.
4. ‘Jugoslawien / Eisenbahnnetz’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 1 000 000. Showing the rail network.
5. ‘Jugoslawien / Verwaltungseinteilung’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 1 000 000. Showing the administrative divisions.
6. ‘Jugoslawien Fernsprech – und – Telegraphen netz’. Large folding uncoloured map. 1 : 1 500 000. Showing the telephone and telegraph network.
7. ‘Jugoslawien: Volkliche Gliederung kerngebiete. Entworfen von Dr. Manfred Straka, Sudostdeutches Institut, Graz’. Large folding two-colour printed map. 1 : 1 500 000. Showing population by ethnicity.
8. ‘Jugoslawien: Volkliche Gliederung Mehrheitsgebiete unter besonderer Berucklichtigung des Deutschtums. Entworfen von Dr. Manfred Straka, Sudostdeutsches Institut, Graz’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 1 500 000. Showing population by ethnicity, but with an emphasis on German culture.
9. ‘Jugoslawien Verzeichnis der Ort mit deutscher Bevolferung in deutscher und jugoslawicher Ramensform. Mit einer Finfurhrung zur Karte Jugosalwien – Volfliche Verhaltnisse 1 : 1, 500 000’. Graz, Steirerdruct, Steirifche Universitatsdruchterei, 1940. 8vo., 38 pages of text and one folding map; original white printed paper wrappers.
10. ‘Stadtplan von Belgrad (mit Zemun)’. Large folding colour printed map – with over-printing. 1 : 15 000. City plan of Belgrade.
11. ‘Stadtdurchfahrten Jugoslawien’. Berlin: Gen.-Stab d. H.-Abt. T. Kriegskarten u. Vermessungswesen, Mai 1940. Large folding colour printed broadside with 18 town-plans; self-wrappers.

The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was partitioned between Germany, Italy, Hungary and Bulgaria, after falling to the Axis forces in April of 1941.

ALBANIA

– Einzeldarstellung der geographischen Bedingungen fur die Verteidgung der Kusten Albaniens mit anliegender Mil Geo-Karte 1 : 500 000. Oktober 1943. Gemeinsam bearbeitet von Generlstab des Heeres, Abt. Fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen (Iv. Mil Geo) und Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine, Amtsgruppe Nautik, Nautisch-Wissenschaftliche Abt. (Mar Geo). Berlin: Generalstab des Heeres, Abteilung fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen (IV. MilGeo), 1943. Folio, 32 pages of text, one large folding colour printed map, with over-printing in pocket at end; original red cloth backed red stiff printed paper boards. Map: ‘Albanien Kuste u. Hinterland. 3. Ausgabe Stand: Dezember 1943’. 1 : 200 000. Reduced from a larger map of Yugoslavia.

In April of 1939, Albania was invaded by Mussolini’s army, and became part of his Italian Empire. Once Italy aligned with the Allies, in September of 1943, German military forces moved into Albania and it came under German occupation

GREECE

– ‘Militargeographische Beschreibung von Griechenland (ohne Nordost-Griechenland). Abgeschlossen am 31. Marz 1941’. Berlin: Generalstab des Heeres Abteilung fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen (IV. Mil-Geo.), 1941. Original green printed stiff paper wallet.

Contents:
1. ‘…Textheft’. MISSING
2. ‘…Bildheft’. Oblong 8vo., 189 pages of photographs; original green printed paper wrappers.
3. ‘Sudosteuropa… Sudblatt’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 1 000 000. Southern territories.
4. ‘Fernsprech- und Telegraphennetz’. Large folding uncoloured map. 1 : 800 000. Showing electricity and telegraph lines. NOW LOOSE IN MYLAR
5. ‘Strassenkarte von Griechenland’. Large folding colour printed map, with over-printing. 1 : 600 000. Large-scale roadmap.
6. ‘Stadtplan von Athen’. Large folding two-colour printed city plan. 1 : 10 000. Athens.
7. ‘Mil.-Geo.-Plan von Piraus’. Large folding two-colour printed city plan, with overprinting. 1 : 10 000. The port of Piraeus with strategic buildings marked.

– ‘Militargeographische Beschreibung von Nordost-Griechenland (Ebene von Saloniki bis Maritzatal). Abgeschlossen am 20. Dezember 1940. Berlin: Generlastab des Heeres Abteilung fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen (IV. Mil. –Geo.)

Contents:
1. [‘Textheft mit Bildanhang’]. 8vo., 60 pages of text, 48 pages of photographs, 8 folding maps, 7 full-page maps; original cream printed paper wrappers, stained. Single blue sheet letterpress ‘Berchtigung’, 10 January 1940, loosely inserted.
2. ‘Mittelbalkan’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 1 000 000. Greece.
3. ‘Strassenkarte…’. large folding colour printed map. 1 : 600 000. Centered on Bucarest. SECOND SHEET MISSING.
4. ‘Stadtplan von Saloniki’. Large folding two-colour printed map. 1 : 10 000.

– ‘Uberblick der militargeographischen Bedingungen fur die Verteidigung der Kusten Sudost-Europas Bildanhang. Juli 1943’. Berlin: Generalstab des Heeres Abteilung fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungwesen (IV Mil-Geo), 1943. Folio.
120 pages of photographs; original red printed paper wrappers, worn.
Provenance: with remains the accession labels and shelfmarks of the Pentagon library, deaccessioned after 9/11.
Images of the Greek and Albanian coast.

– ‘Militargeographische Beschreibung von Griechenland (mit Makedonien un Westthrakien). Textheft. Abgeschlossen am 20. April 1944’. Berlin: Generalstab des Heeres Abteilung fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen (IV Mil Geo), 1944. Folio. 142 pages of text, 3 folding maps, large folding colour printed map, with over-printing, in pocket at end; original red printed paper wrappers.
Map: ‘Landschaftsgliederung und Malariaverbreitung von Griechenland… Deutsche Heereskarte Ausgabe Nr. 2. Stand 29.2.44.’ Showing the spread and prevalence of malaria in Greece.

– ‘Militargeographische Beschriebung von Griechenland (mit Makedonien und Westthrakien). Bildheft. Abgeschlossen am 20. April 1944’. Berlin: Generalstab des Heeres Abteilung fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen (IV Mil Geo), 1944. Folio. 248 pages of photographs. Provenance: library stamps removed from the front cover.

Once Italy had annexed Albania, it set its sights firmly on Greece. Greek successes against Italian incursion, forced Germany’s hand and the army invaded Greece and Yugoslavia, through Romania and Bulgaria in April of 1941.

CYPRUS

– ‘Militargeographische Angaben uber Zypern. Abgeschlossen am 10. Mai 1941’. Berlin: Generalstab des Heeres Abteilung fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen (IV Mil Geo), 1941. Original grey printed stiff paper slipcase, worn.

Contents:
1. ‘…Textheft mit Bildanhang’. 8vo., 45 pages of text, 38 pages of photographs, 6 folding maps; original grey printed paper wrappers.
2. ‘Zypern’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 250 000. Cyprus.
3. ‘Seekarte von Zypern’. Large uncoloured folding chart. 1 : 325 000. Chart of the coastline of Cyprus.

Cyprus remained a supporter of the Allied cause during WWII, particularly after the Italian and German invasions of Greece in 1940 and 1941. The island escaped invasion, becoming an important supply, training, naval and air base for the British and other Allied forces.

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