Even
Danzig got significantly scaled up when it was
copied into RO2.
What are you? A comedian? Danzig is a 1 to 1 port when it comes to size.
Go down the list of RO1 maps. Arad, Baksan, Barashka, Kaukasas, Konigsplatz, Kurland, Leningrad, LyesKrovy, Odessa, Rakowice, Smolensk, Zhitomer are all very channelized, many of them having only one way to go to certain objectives, usually over open ground. When you do get a flanking route, it's often like Leningrad's sewers and requires a suicidal push through a literal channel, so it's not even a remotely viable alternative.
Ok, I go down your list of maps:
Arad - wide open fields, no limits where you wanna go, except of course the map border on the sides
Baksan - hm, basically no border at all, except the sides that (again) are the border of the map
Barashka - You know that the river was frozen and you could walk/drive over it, right? It's not limited to the 2 bridges
Kaukasus - yes, 2 ways only
Konigsplatz - Huge open space. Go wherever you want
Kurland - no choke points, much cover everywhere
Leningrad - 1st capzone might be a bit difficult, but 3 ways to get into it: frontal, tunnels, right flank (talking GER side here)
LyesKrovy - well, RO-pacman that is, but hold on: you can run into the trenches from everywhere
Odessa - limited access to approaches to capzone
Rakowice - you can go everywhere you want
Smolensk - first capzone is screwed and I agree that this map was awful frontal attack. I would put Basovka into the same category
Zhitomir - central park, right flank, left flank, 3 ways to attack
Now I don't disagree with the fact that many maps had some choke points. But usually, people could use their brain after getting killed 5 times in a row without reaching the capzone. There were alternatives.
If you are trying to tell us that the battlefields of RO were smaller than the ones in RO2, then you should give me the number of your dealer. Good stuff...