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History
Political warfare
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Political warfare is the use of hostile political means to compel an opponent to do one's will. The term political describes the calculated interaction between a government and a target audience, including another state's government, military, and/or general population. Governments use a variety of techniques to coerce certain actions, thereby gaining relative advantage over an opponent. The techniques include propaganda and psychological operations ("PsyOps"), which service national and military objectives respectively. Propaganda has many aspects and a hostile and coercive political purpose. Psychological operations are for strategic and tactical military objectives and may be intended for hostile military and civilian populations.
Statue of Sun Tzu (544–498 BCE) in Yurihama, Tottori, Japan. Sun Tzu, a military strategist, wrote of the superior power of political warfare in battl
Statue of Sun Tzu (544–498 BCE) in Yurihama, Tottori, Japan. Sun Tzu, a military strategist, wrote of the superior power of political warfare in battle.
A coin of Constantine (c. 337 CE) showing a depiction of his labarum spearing a serpent.
A coin of Constantine (c. 337 CE) showing a depiction of his labarum spearing a serpent.
Alexander the Great silver tetradrachm.
Alexander the Great silver tetradrachm.
RFE/RL logo
RFE/RL logo
Psychological warfare
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Psychological warfare (PSYWAR), or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations (PsyOp), has been known by many other names or terms, including Military Information Support Operations (MISO), Psy Ops, political warfare, "Hearts and Minds", and propaganda. The term is used "to denote any action which is practiced mainly by psychological methods with the aim of evoking a planned psychological reaction in other people".
An example of a World War II era leaflet meant to be dropped from an American B-17 over a German city (see the file description page for a translation
An example of a World War II era leaflet meant to be dropped from an American B-17 over a German city (see the file description page for a translation)
Mosaic of Alexander the Great on his campaign against the Persian Empire.
Mosaic of Alexander the Great on his campaign against the Persian Empire.
Lord Bryce led the commission of 1915 to document German atrocities committed against Belgian civilians.
Lord Bryce led the commission of 1915 to document German atrocities committed against Belgian civilians.
A dummy Sherman tank, used to deceive the Germans.
A dummy Sherman tank, used to deceive the Germans.