THE INFORMATION FRONT OF WORLD WAR I: THE ROLE OF THE PRESS IN PROPAGANDA AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS (1914–1918)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/cusu-hist-2026-1-14Keywords:
information and psychological operations, information and psychological influence, propaganda, First World War, image of the enemy, chauvinism, military periodicals, disinformation, social mobilizationAbstract
The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the formation and development of information and psychological operations during the First World War as a component of the phenomenon of total war in the early twentieth century. The study examines the process of transformation of propaganda from an auxiliary instrument of political influence into a systemic tool of state military strategy aimed at mobilizing society, shaping the image of the enemy, and legitimizing military actions. Particular attention is paid to the pre-war stage of information confrontation, when chauvinistic rhetoric and the ideological logic of dividing the world into antagonistic categories of “us” and “others” were used as a means of ideologically preparing mass consciousness for a global conflict. The article analyzes the mechanisms of the functioning of the press, military periodicals, press agencies, propaganda literature, graphic materials, and cinema as instruments of psychological influence. It is demonstrated that with the outbreak of the war, an institutionalized system of centralized control over mass media was established, including the creation of specialized bureaus and coordinating structures that ensured the purposeful formation of public opinion in the interests of the state. The study reveals the specific features of influencing various target audiences: domestic populations, allies, neutral countries, and the enemy, as well as methods of demoralizing enemy troops through the dissemination of rumors, leaflets, falsified documents, and the use of historical myths. Special attention is also paid to the role of the national factor, the support of separatist movements, and irredentism as new technologies of information confrontation are actively used by the belligerent states. It is concluded that during 1914–1918, the theoretical and practical foundations of modern psychological warfare were laid, within which the objects of influence became not only the armed forces of the enemy but also the mass consciousness of society as a whole.
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