The Psychological warfare reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Psychological warfare

The U.S. Department of Defense defines Psychological warfare (PSYWAR) as:

"The planned use of propaganda and other psychological actions having the primary purpose of influencing the opinions, emotions, attitudes, and behavior of hostile foreign groups in such a way as to support the achievement of national objectives."

Methods

• Distributing leaflets, eg in the Gulf War, encouraging desertion
• propaganda radio stations, such as Lord Haw-Haw in World War Two on the Germany calling station
• Renaming cities and other places when captured, such as Baghdad airport
• shock and awe military strategy
• terrorism (in addition to the physical effect of the violence it often aims to instill fear, which is psychological warfare)

See also:

• information warfare
• PSYOPS

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