Psychological warfare facts for kids

A dummy Sherman tank, used to trick the enemy.

Psychological warfare is a way that military groups try to influence people's minds during war. It's like playing mind games to change what enemy soldiers or even regular people in other countries think or do. It's very similar to propaganda, which is information shared to influence opinions.

What Is Psychological Warfare?

A US Army specialist setting up a loudspeaker to share messages with local people in Afghanistan.

The term "psychological warfare" can sound a bit harsh. Because of this, military groups, like NATO, often use the term "psychological operations" (PSYOP). This sounds less aggressive. People sometimes prefer to use words like "stabilization" or "satisfaction" instead. These terms focus more on helping situations become calm and positive.

A Brief History

Psychological warfare became very important during the Second World War. Both the Axis Powers (like Germany and Japan) and the Allied forces (like the United States and United Kingdom) used these methods.

• For example, the United States and United Kingdom used German people who had left their home country to broadcast messages. These messages were sent to the German population, trying to make them lose hope or change their minds about the war.

Other Pages to Explore

• Propaganda
• Psychology
• War
• Military

Images for kids

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  A leaflet used for psychological warfare by the 8th Air Force.

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  A mosaic showing Alexander the Great during his campaign against the Persian Empire.

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  This map shows the different targets of Operation Bodyguard, a plan to trick the enemy.

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  An American PSYOP leaflet from the Iraq War. It shows Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, an Al-Qaeda leader, caught in a rat trap. The message says, "This is your future, Zarqawi."

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  A U.S. Army soldier giving a newspaper to a local person in Mosul, Iraq.

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  A U.S. Army team using loudspeakers in Korea.

See also

In Spanish: Guerra psicológica para niños