Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gomberg_map.jpg
If you make a comparison between maps and literature, most maps would be like a biography in which the author presents reality. However, The New World Order map created by Maurice Gomberg, in 1942, is not like most Mercator projection maps. Comparatively speaking, it is more of a science fiction novel in which Gomberg presents his prediction of the post-war world. In the post-war era, Gomberg believes America will be the moral leaders of the world and the Axis powers would be destroyed. Gomberg states that this is the only way there would ever be a world without war. The New World Order map is shaped by the historical time period and Gomberg’s wild imagination, but his intentions are unclear.
Gomberg’s map was discovered in a recent Library of Congress excavation. There is not much background information on Maurice Gomberg or what his intentions were for this map. However, the time frame in which this map was produced is vital in understanding the mindset he may have had. After WWI, the U.S. adopted a policy of isolationism due to the horrors of the Great War and established the Neutrality Act in the hopes of ending relations with European affairs. However, Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939 caused the U.S. to become uneasy and more concerned about Europe. This was also a time of “Air-Age Globalism”, in which America was just a short plane ride away from the rest of the world (Henrikson). It was not feasible for America to stay isolated with this ever-increasing aeronautic technology. As WWII unfolded before their eyes, inactivity created anxiety and anticipation among the public. But the war approval rating among the American people was still not at full capacity. If the government wanted to enter the war, they were going to need ample support on the home front. January 11, 1941, Roosevelt delivered the “Four Freedoms” speech. This created a larger ‘fan-base’ for the war by planting the idea in civilian’s minds that it was America’s moral responsibility to lead the world in the right direction.
Gomberg’s map takes the ideals from the “Four Freedoms” speech to an extreme level. Roosevelt’s speech clearly influenced Gomberg’s decision to make the New World Order map, as it is printed on it. The speech is not the only text here. Gomberg provides a list of forty-one policies that the U.S. should carry out in his ideal post-war world. The main duties of America and its allies are to crush the Axis powers and free the world of colonial oppression and dictatorship. The world is organized into 14 independent sovereign states, 13 of them democracies and 10 of them demilitarized. Continents, such as Africa and South America become united. The United States includes Mexico, Canada, Greenland, Iceland and the entire Pacific Ocean. The allied (and later enemy) USSR has a great deal of control over Europe. During the early stages of the war, many believed that the world can achieve peace only if great powers set up general rules and countries move towards coalition. On this map, three emergent superpowers (US, USSR, and Britain) create the “New World Moral Order”, establishing “…permanent peace, freedom, justice, security and world reconstruction”. The U.S. would be the moral police of the world and establish their presence throughout the globe by establishing a League of Nationalities and nationalizing the economy. The U.S. would control all natural resources and foreign trade. The Axis powers would be severely punished. All people of Japanese, Italian, and German descent would be expelled from the entire Western Hemisphere, even if they were fifth generation American citizens. The resemblance of these specific policies and those of Hitler’s is uncanny. The U.S. establishes a dictator-like dominance over the globe in this new world order. If America were to carry out these policies, it would become the very thing it wished to destroy.
Unfortunately, in the midst of “Air-Age Globalism”, The New World Order map never took flight. The lack of popularity caused the lack of information on Gomberg and his intentions. The reader is left with more questions than answers. Was Gomberg just extremely passionate about the U.S. becoming the moral dictators of the world? Or, is this map a satire? Gomberg could have made these policies so ridiculous that this map had to have been a mockery of an exaggerated American elitist’s point of view. Maybe the government played a role in why this map did not become popular. After all, it was an opinion that could have been detrimental to the support of the war.
The New World order map is a rare piece of history. This map is heavily influenced by the historical time period. “Air-Age Globalism” ended all hopes of America remaining isolated and international relations were soon to become a main priority of the government. President Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms” speech called for America to step up and be the moral leaders of the world. Gomberg elaborates these moral duties through dozens of policies on this map. After much analyzing, critiquing, and comparing, Maurice Gomberg’s intentions for this map, remains a mystery. WWII was intended to be the war to end all wars. No one knew what the world was going to look like post-war, not even Gomberg, but many hoped it would be a peaceful one. Sadly, Maurice Gomberg and the generation of WWII never lived to see the day where there was no hate, oppression, or war.
-Jennifer He and Shayna Webb
Works Cited
Henrikson, Alan K. “Maps, Globes, and the “Cold War””