WWII: Axis territorial gains 1938-1942, by country
The Axis Powers, led by Germany, Italy, and Japan, controlled a much smaller share of the globe than the Allied Powers in 1938 - however, by 1941, the majority of Europe was under (German-led) Axis control, while Japan had taken much of the Western territories in Asia and had pushed further into China. Italy had also sought to consolidate its power in North and East Africa at this time, but was largely contained by British Commonwealth Forces. Although 1941 and 1942 marked the largest territorial gains for the Axis Powers in Europe and Asia, Italy had lost virtually all of its African colonies by the end of 1942, which totaled at just under 3.5 million square kilometers of land. Late 1942 also marked the turning point in the war in the other theaters, where the Soviet counteroffensive started pushing the German lines back in Europe, while American and Commonwealth Forces began pushing the Japanese north through the Asia-Pacific at the end of the year. The war in Europe ended in May, 1945, and in the Pacific in September, 1945.