'Munitions of the mind' : A brief history of military psychological operations

Western militaries have been progressively employing psychological operations (PSYOPS) in support of their military missions for almost a century. This article introduces readers of this journal to a brief history and outline of some of the key developments, particularly with reference to the British and the Americans. Little noticed, and rarely understood in their proper military context, PSYOPS has a poor public reputation, being associated with the 'black arts' of deception and disinformation. In fact, in their overt form, PSYOPS are closely related to branding and marketing - but in a battlefield or combat or other military mission's context. Whether the military are best equipped to undertake such work has come into question largely as a result of the conflict in Iraq. There have, however, been some notable successes as well as some serious failures. The latter are usually more to do with the political rather than the military context.