FEATURE ARTICLE

February 2001

A Strategy That Dates Back to Ancient Times

by Harold Kennedy

Psychological operations (psyops) may be as old as warfare itself, according to U.S. Army officials. One of the earliest examples of printed psyops messages occurred in ancient Greece, when Themistocles engraved stones around a popular fresh water point. The messages were intended to encourage Ionians to defect or withdraw from the conflict.

The Romans crucified revolutionaries to discourage uprisings.

During the U.S. Revolutionary War, Gen. George Washington distributed leaflets to encourage British soldiers to desert.

In World War II, all sides—the allies, Germany and Japan—began using radio broadcasts and loudspeakers to get their messages across.

During the Vietnam conflict, U.S. psyops units began using aircraft to broadcast radio and television programs to target audiences.

When the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) was formed in 1987, it included three psychological operations groups.

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