Published in 1916 by The London Geographical Institute, The Eastern Front: Southern Section distills the complexity of World War I’s vast theater in Poland and Ukraine into a lucid, authoritative view. A blend of physical and political cartography reveals how contours, color gradients, and river systems shaped the campaigns, while precise place-names anchor the conflict to the land. From Warsaw and Łódź northward to Płock, and southeast through Lublin and Zamość toward Lemberg (Lviv) and Tarnopol, the map frames a corridor where armies maneuvered along rivers, railheads, and mountain approaches. It is a study in military geography, showing how natural obstacles and engineered routes combined to govern movement, supply, and the ambitions of empires at war.

Strategic cities and fortified positions appear with clarifying emphasis, turning the sheet into a register of decision points. Warsaw and Cracow bookend the western approaches, while Brest-Litovsk—depicted as a fortress complex—guards the Bug and pivotal rail junctions. Przemyśl and Ivangorod, both labeled as strongholds, signal the fortified chain that once dictated the tempo of sieges and withdrawals. Bridges and crossings are annotated at key river junctures, echoing the vital role of the Vistula, San, and Bug in channeling offensives. The result is a landscape of objectives—Rovno, Dubno, Sokal, and Kovel among them—whose names read like a ledger of wartime imperatives.

The Southern Section captures the ground over which some of the war’s most consequential Eastern Front operations surged. In Galicia, the path from Cracow toward Gorodok, Lemberg, and Stanisławów (Ivano-Frankivsk) evokes the 1915 Gorlice–Tarnów reversal and the costly struggle for Przemyśl’s defenses. Farther east, the axes through Rovno, Dubno, and Kovel illuminate the 1916 Brusilov Offensive, whose shock tactics and relentless pressure reshaped the front and strained Austro-Hungarian lines. By marking towns, roads, and river crossings, the map lets one visualize how assaults radiated from railheads, where cavalry and infantry met the realities of marsh, ridge, and ford, and how seemingly modest nodes became decisive hinges of momentum.

Railways, unmistakably symbolized and crisply traced, form the map’s logistical backbone. Lines linking Warsaw to Lublin and Brest-Litovsk, and Lemberg to Tarnopol and Stanisławów, underline why trains determined tempo and endurance as much as tactics did. Route markers for highways and paths complement the rails, revealing secondary arteries essential for guns, fodder, and ammunition. Topographic shading across the Carpathian forelands near Cracow and the Galician uplands communicates the gradients that constrained artillery emplacements and funneled columns into predictable corridors. In concert, these elements convey not only where armies went, but why, making the sheet an instructive blueprint of operational possibility and constraint.

Historically, this map offers a rare contemporaneous lens on a front whose shifting lines would soon prefigure the collapse of empires and the redrawing of Europe. It presents the fortified landscape of Brest-Litovsk and Przemyśl before postwar treaties and borders recast their meanings, and it situates places like Ostrog, Zamość, and Sokal within the lived geography of 1916 strategy. Produced by a premier British institute renowned for clarity and accuracy, it stands as both a masterclass in military cartography and a deeply informative artifact for scholars and collectors—an elegant, incisive snapshot of World War I’s southern Eastern Front at a decisive moment.

Places on this map

• Warsaw
• Lemberg (Lviv)
• Cracow
• Ivano-Frankivsk
• Przemyśl
• Tarnopol
• Lublin
• Brest Litovsk
• Rovno
• Zamość
• Sokal
• Stanisławów
• Gorodok
• Dubno
• Łódź
• Płock
• Ivangorod
• Ostrog
• Brest
• Kovel

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Key cities prominently labeled, including Warsaw, Lemberg, and Cracow.
• Major rivers and waterways marked, facilitating understanding of movement and logistics.
• Principal railways indicated with distinctive symbols.
• Military fortifications labeled, highlighting strategic points.
• Topographical features illustrated to emphasize mountains and valleys.
• Bridges and crossings noted, relevant for troop movements.
• Various towns and settlements labeled, indicating regional significance.
• Various route markers for major highways and paths.

Historical and design context

• Date of Creation: 1916
• Mapmaker/Publisher: The London Geographical Institute (notable for producing high-quality maps for educational and military purposes during the early 20th century)
• Focus: Eastern Front (Southern Section) of World War I, emphasizing geographical and tactical aspects of military campaigns
• Themes/Topics: Military geography and tactics; significant troop movements and strategic locations along the Eastern Front
• Countries/Regions shown: Poland; Ukraine
• Design/Style: Blend of physical and political elements, with terrain depicted through color gradients and topographic details
• Includes annotations for clarity on railway and military routes, possibly indicated through symbols
• Historical significance: Provides insights into the Eastern Front during World War I, marking essential military engagements and geographical challenges faced by troops; valuable for understanding how geography influenced strategy

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.