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).

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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:

The Legend:

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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