Psychological struggle. General principles of psychological warfare, easy to understand and apply. When invited to cooperate

Psychological struggle- type of strategic (operational, combat) support, is a complex of special actions (psychological operations, actions and psychological warfare measures) for information and psychological influence on the military-political leadership, personnel of the armed forces and the population of foreign states (enemy) in the interests of solving tasks facing the Armed Forces.

Psychological operations begin to be carried out in peacetime, become more active during a threatened period, and fully develop during hostilities.

Main objects of PsB(during the threatened period):

1. enemy military personnel with the enemy population.

2. population and military personnel of neutral and allied states.

3. military personnel and the population of their country.

PSB goals:

In peacetime:

1. isolation of a potential enemy in the international arena.

2. undermining the moral and psychological state of the enemy military personnel and population.

3. strengthening of anti-war and anti-government sentiments in the country.

4. consolidation of the population and personnel of their armed forces and allied countries.

During the threatened period:

The content of psychological operations during a threatened period is specified depending on the political and military goals of the conflict, the military-political situation in the theater of operations; the scope of the activities of opposition political parties, dissident and pacifist movements, as well as the characteristics of the psychology, customs, traditions and religious beliefs of the people in the enemy’s country

PsB in the period up to modern times:

The commanders of many countries have known for a long time that they can fight the enemy not only with armed means, but also through targeted influence on the consciousness and psyche of people, and they tried to use IPV.

The most ancient way to undermine the morale of the enemy is to intimidate him with your (sometimes imaginary) combat power. It arose very early and has survived to this day in a modified form.

So, Carthaginian commander Hannibal even before the start of the battle, rumors were deliberately spread about “new secret weapons” - war elephants, “fire snakes” - poisonous smoke, etc.

Before going to Greece in 480 BC. Persian military leader Xerxes in order to maximize the emotional impact on the enemy, he spread rumors about the size of his army. He argued that “if all the Persian wars were shot with bows, the arrows would eclipse the sun.”

First try summarize the main areas of activity to weaken the moral and psychological potential of the enemy troops and population was undertaken in China 500 years before. e. in one of the oldest treatises on the art of war

Sun Tzu developed the theory of information warfare. " A method of influencing the psyche and behavior of the enemy».

1). Destroy everything good that is in your enemy's country.

2). Involve peaceful representatives of your enemy in criminal activities.

3). Do not save money or promises, because... they pay rich dividends.

4). Incite the youth against the old.

5). Fetter the will of the enemy with meaningless songs and music.
6). Devalue all the traditions and gods of your enemies.

In slaveholding period, the experience of warfare was summarized in India in the form of “ Laws of Manu”, in which, along with military issues, the moral foundations of the war were outlined. In accordance with one of the recommendations of the Laws of Manu, the belligerent should actively “encourage those of the enemy troops who are inclined to mutiny.”

The art of war Tatar-Mongols The preparation for each war was inherent, starting with reconnaissance of the enemy and carrying out measures to destroy his morale. Numerous Mongol agents, recruited long before the start of hostilities from among the dissatisfied in the enemy camp, carried out intensive IPV by intimidating the force of the supposedly countless Mongol army.

Documentation Genghis Khan had pronounced directions of psychological impact: as a rule, a religious justification, a specific addressee, certain conditions were set. The Mongols’ favorite and very effective methods were to spread rumors about the corruption of officials, the treason of commanders, and their numbers and invincibility. The latter method was used so skillfully that it often had a decisive influence in demoralizing the enemy. Genghis Khan also created an ultimatum propaganda that suggested surrender.

Batu - creation of camouflage propaganda - 1241. Hungarian campaign.

After the advent of printing, printed sources of propaganda were created, that is, the target audience increased.

The first psychological operation - SUVOROV. And Kutuzov works with prisoners of war. Napoleon had a printing press in the army. Circulation – 10 thousand per day.

CONCLUSION: forms, methods, theoretical basis originated in ancient times and have reached us.

Ticket 2. Features of using the method of persuasion in the interests of the PSB.

The 2 main methods are persuasion and suggestion.

Belief– a method of influencing people’s consciousness, aimed at their critical perception of everything. This method is focused on the intellectual and cognitive side of the human psyche. With the help of logical arguments, it is necessary to achieve internal agreement, and then consolidate new attitudes.

Requirements for beliefs:

• Logic of Persuasion

• Accessibility to the intellect of the target
• Evidence of belief, reliance on facts
• Maximum credibility of information (for greater reliability)
• Causing an emotional reaction to our influence (the relevance of persuasive influence)

Main characteristics:

• Conviction must be planned and properly oriented
• Directed to a specific object (targeted impact)
• Focused on intellect, consciousness – the cognitive sphere of the psyche
• Focus on initiating certain actions (i.e. in our favor already)

The advisability of using persuasion (situation):

• The object is able to perceive information
• The psychological ability (readiness) of the object to agree with the belief used to him;
• It is effective when the target is ready and able to accept the persuasion;
• Subject's ability to analyze argumentation
• Readiness of the object (that is, when there is an emotional upsurge, then perception goes much better and vice versa)
• The logic of persuasion and argumentation is close to the object
• Having time to persuade

Basic principles of using persuasive influence:

• The principle of repetition of information (the number of people who heard the information increases)
• The principle of achieving primary impact
• The principle of ensuring trust in the source of information
• The principle of activation of mental processes
• The principle of perception of information content.

Structure of persuasive influence:

Impact of the information situation.

Impact of information source.

Impact of information content.

1) Information situation:

· Individual situation

· Mass situation. In a mass situation, there is a contagion that includes herd mentality (Panic, etc.).

Panic– a certain emotional state that is a consequence of a lack of information, or an excess of this information. Knowledge of the object is very important. Since disinformation can lead to riots and failure to comply with orders.

2) Sources of information are divided into:

· Government and command of your country

Trust or distrust of the source.

3) Impact of information content (correct choice of form):

Forms of influence:

Evidentiary

Convincing

Types of calls:

· Direct (“come to us, as we did…”)

· Indirect

· Uncertain

Assistant for financial and economic work

Officers at the Moscow Financial Academy are trained, focusing not only on the military regulations, but also on the instructions of the Deputy Minister of Defense for Financial and Economic Work and the head of the department of field institutions of the Bank of Russia. Having graduated, former students should become good assistants to the commander of a military unit in financial and economic work. The name of this unusual military accounting specialty is “an employee of a bank’s field office for the organization of issue and cash, accounting and operational, credit work and work with foreign currency.”

Such a student assistant must be able to organize the work of the financial service of a military unit, calculate the unit’s need for funds, draw up documents for claiming, receiving and spending funds. He must maintain budget accounting registers and prepare reports.

It is his professionalism that will determine whether the amount of pay for various categories of military personnel will be calculated correctly.

In addition, the department studies the organization of issue and cash, accounting and operational, credit work and work with foreign currency. Banking officers must be able to organize cash and credit work in a field office of the Bank of Russia.

The main disciplines that future officers study are budget accounting, financial and economic support of a military unit, reporting of a military unit and monetary allowances for military personnel, as well as the organization of cash, accounting, operational and credit work in bank field institutions and financial and economic support of a military unit.

Psychological warfare specialist

Such propagandist warriors are trained at the faculties of journalism at Moscow State University and Far Eastern State University. Students compose educational texts of ultimatums, leaflets calling on the enemy to surrender, and learn to conduct diplomatic negotiations, for example, about the transfer of the wounded.

They are also taught specialized vocabulary in the language of the potential enemy (English), as well as the standard wisdom of an infantry officer in the position of platoon commander. Those who study German, French or Spanish in civilian life undergo practice in writing propaganda in these languages.

The military training program consists of theoretical and practical training courses, which are conducted in the university building itself. In addition to the lecture course (at MSU this is 450 hours of classroom training), students of the department undergo summer internship. As a rule, it comes down to cleaning premises and training for the troops (144 hours of training time).

Psychic fighters are almost never drafted into the army, since military commissars and unit commanders have little understanding of where and how such officers can be used.

True, there are exceptions. During the second Chechen campaign, four students from the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University were called up for service, and all four served in Grozny.

The responsibilities of propagandists were as follows. They drove around the city in an armored personnel carrier with a gramophone bell welded to the side and, without getting out, invited the local population to hand over their weapons and stop resistance. During the second week of the service, the guys diversified their radio messages by singing songs about peace, work, love and the horrors of war. After two months of service, everyone was sent to Moscow, and then to the reserves. It is unknown how many militants fell for the calls for peace.

Programmer of automated troop control systems

The Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) trains specialists in the operation and repair of aircraft, helicopters and aircraft engines (this applies to students of the Faculty of Aeromechanics and Flight Engineering).

In addition, the military department of the university trains programmers of a special kind - in software for the functioning of automated troop control systems (students whose main civilian specialty are applied mathematics and physics, as well as computer science and computer science, are trained in this specialty).

Graduates of the Faculty of Military Education can then work as researchers, engineers, and operators in research institutes, computer centers, design bureaus, and testing institutions.

Training takes place on the basis of military commissariats in the cities of Zhukovsky and Dolgoprudny. Last year, 300 people applied for training, and 100 were accepted, the military department of the university said. Enrollment for next year is now open, again on competitive terms.

Navigator on warships

Maritime State Academy named after. Admiral F.F. Ushakov is the only higher educational institution in the south of Russia where reserve officers are trained. The military specialties that academy students receive overlap with civilian ones. Over 35 years, the academy has graduated more than 6 thousand officers.

The general civil specialty “navigation” is 5.5 years of study, which also includes a year of swimming practice. Those who decide to also acquire a military specialty, starting from the second year, undergo training at the military faculty.

After completing the training program, future reserve officers leave for military training and internship: students undergo practical training on warships of the Novorossiysk naval base. Then you need to pass the final exam and be certified (receive a title).

Military disciplines include, for example, “fundamentals of tactical maneuvering” for navigators and “ship survivability and protection” for mechanics.

Today, reserve officers in the naval profession are not so in demand. However, just recently, having the rank of lieutenant, specialists could get a job in the coast guard of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation.

Nowadays, graduates of “maritime” universities are in great demand: yesterday’s student can get a job with a primary salary of 2.5-3 thousand dollars in a shipping company.

Numbers

• 68 universities in the country have military departments
• 37 military training centers have been created at Russian universities
• 2.5 years - duration of training at the military department
• On average, training camps for students of military departments take place 30 days

Personal experience

Dmitry Derunets

— I studied at Moscow State University. In case of war, I will be the senior assistant to the chief of intelligence, engaged in psychological combat with the enemy. Each student has his own specialization depending on the language. I faced Spanish-speaking opponents.

We had secret notebooks that could not be taken outside the premises. I took them with me to lunch several times to both eat and read. This was noticed by an officer-teacher, who immediately burst into a speech about how I was ready to “convey secrets to the enemy.” As punishment for this, I had to wash the floor.

Evgeniy Kustov

— In 2008, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the Faculty of Applied Political Science at the Higher School of Economics and the military department. I received the specialty of a motorized rifleman - they, as our teacher said, “finish the fastest.”

We studied for 2.5 years, and then another 30 days at a training camp in a field camp.

Most of all I remember the military training. On the third day it started to rain, and we had to dig around the tent to prevent the things inside from flooding. There weren't enough tools, so we worked with whatever we had. We dug with a half-broken shovel.

Ignat Bakin

— I graduated from USU. The first thing I remember from the “military service” is the surname of the colonel in rifle training: Netselya. The training camp took place only once. In the winter, at minus 25, they put us in a row in front of the field and told us for 2.5 hours how to fortify ourselves on this field. After 2.5 hours we were asked: “Did you understand everything?” And by that time we were so frozen that we understood everything.

Once we had a test, the questions could only be answered “yes” or “no”. I remembered one question for a long time: “Are my hands as dexterous and skillful as before?” That's how you want it, understand it.

Preparation

What do they teach at military departments?

• Toxicology - protection against weapons of mass destruction (medic)
• Military hygiene (medic)
• Basics of tactical maneuvering (navigator)
• Issue, cash and credit settlements (employee of the field department of the Bank of Russia)
• Monetary allowances for military personnel (financier)
• Mine demolition (reconnaissance)
• Protection of the population in natural disasters (civil defense and emergency specialist)
• Ensuring the protection of state secrets (specialist in the protection of automation objects)
• Military unit reporting (financiers)
• Fundamentals of Psychological Resilience (Intelligence)

Quotes

That's what they say in military school

• “Now I’ll put you down, you stand for 15 minutes - your tongue will immediately close.”
• "Most important" (meaning "most important").
• “Using a bayonet when shooting is absolutely very bad.”
• “There is no greeting against the wind.”
• “My voice hurts.”
• “I ordered a decision to be made.”
• “Mathematics came in handy for me once in my life: I dropped a watch into a hole, bent the wire with an integral and took out the watch.”
• “I beat meningitis as a child - and I can handle you!”
• “One half goes to the camp, the other half to the hangars, and the rest follow me.”
• “A machine gun is like a girl: it’s useful around the house and makes loud sounds.”
• “For women, calling is associated with desire.”
• “Hello, my name is Colonel Ivanov.”
• “The submarine fleet must always surface unexpectedly.”
• “Some losses can be treated and returned to service.”
• “The conditionally wounded must be carried carefully, otherwise they will conditionally die.”
• “You must have a duty to the Motherland in your heads and pants, and you must leave nonsense in the corridor!”
• “There is an elite in the army - paratroopers, our famous blue ones.”
• “Vladivostok is a city of amateur divers.”

Modern war is not only an armed confrontation, but also a struggle of views, principles, and morale. Achieving victory in the sphere of public consciousness is no less important than victory on the battlefield. Psychological struggle begins long before military operations and continues during and after their end. Its main task is to impose its will by influencing the enemy’s group consciousness in order to control and manipulate the consciousness of the population and personnel of the armed forces.

The armed forces engage in psychological warfare by organizing and conducting psychological operations (PsyOps). NATO experts predict the strengthening of the role of PsyOps as an integral part of a unified campaign for conducting information operations in peacetime, during periods of threat and during combat operations. In their opinion, in the near future, psychological operations should become a flexible means of quickly delivering the necessary information, adapted to the technical capabilities of perceiving the enemy in the area of ​​probable combat operations. PsyOps will be most effective if they are deployed before the start of direct hostilities and continued after the end of the active phase. Conducted during a period of threat, they will help create a favorable environment for the armed forces in a particular region of the world.

Psychological warfare apparatus of the Polish Army. The leadership of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland (RP) attaches great importance to the psychological support of the activities of the Polish Army (WP) both in peacetime and wartime. The role of this type of support especially increases in conditions associated with the participation of national military contingents in peacekeeping missions led by NATO in various regions of the world.

In the Polish Army, the tasks of providing information and psychological influence on enemy troops and populations in order to achieve political, military and propaganda goals are assigned to the central group of psychological actions (TsGRPsD - Centralna Grupa Dzialan Psychologicznych, based in Bydgoszcz). It is a separate military unit, which is directly subordinate to the command of the ground forces and is part of the created special operations forces.

Thus, in VP, psychological operations are an integral part of special actions. According to Polish military doctrine, special actions (operations) are the actions of specially organized, trained and equipped forces using forms and methods of influence that are not included in the standard arsenal of conventional troops (forces). They are carried out during all types of operations of the armed forces, both in peacetime and during periods of crisis or war, independently or with the involvement of conventional troops (forces) and are aimed at achieving the military, political, economic and psychological goals of the operation. The forms and methods of special actions depend on the specific military-political situation.

The TsGRPsD was created on the basis of four psychological defense groups that existed before 2001 (PsOb of central subordination, PsOb of ground forces and two PsOb of military districts).

Based on military-political and socio-economic data obtained from various sources (mainly the media), the group prepares information, reference and analytical materials, such as certificates, bulletins, periodic reviews of foreign radio and television programs, foreign press, as well as all kinds of video materials.

The main task of the TsGRPsD is to provide the country's military leadership, branches of the armed forces and services of the Armed Forces with timely information that allows them to plan and conduct operations and activities aimed at indoctrinating enemy troops and populations through propaganda in order to reduce their morale and ability to counter. In order to solve the assigned tasks, the military personnel of the group are routinely engaged in collecting and processing publications in the press, various periodicals, thematic printed materials, radio and television messages, data posted on the Internet concerning the use of the national armed forces of Poland as part of both the NATO Allied Forces and Polish military contingents in conflict regions. At the same time, the TsGRPsD performs a coordinating function in relation to the activities of departments and sections of psychological warfare of corps, divisions and brigades.

The central group of psychological actions consists of management (headquarters), as well as information and analytical, television and radio broadcasting, editorial and publishing and logistics units. Organizationally, the central group includes: headquarters; intelligence center for psychological warfare, which is its main coordinating part and consists of four departments for collecting and processing information (the first deals with the analysis of the press and other open information sources on Poland, the second - mainly on English-speaking Western countries, the third - on Eastern Europe and the fourth - on states with conflict situations); department of television and radio broadcasting; sound broadcasting department; department for distributing information and psychological influence materials (planning propaganda “covering up” enemy territory using aviation and artillery); editorial and publishing department; archive and rear units.

In total, the TsGrPSD has over 110 military personnel (officers, cornets and sergeants). The personnel are only personnel. The main specialties are operational staff, socio-psychological and technical.

The average age of Polish PsyOps specialists is 32 years. Most of them speak several foreign languages, including English - at least 75 percent. military personnel. More than half of the personnel were trained in specialized courses organized in Poland with the participation of NATO instructors. Almost the entire command staff has undergone training in the PsyOp structures of NATO armies, has experience working in the headquarters of the Alliance's Joint Forces at various levels, and has taken part in peacekeeping operations.

The central group has established constant interaction with scientific, educational and cultural organizations and institutions in Poland and NATO countries. To carry out complex expert activities, various specialists are involved - ethnographers, sociologists, psychologists, teachers, etc. An example of such cooperation is the brochure prepared in a short time for the Polish contingent in Iraq “Soldier's Guide. Iraq". In addition to such structures of the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Poland as the department of education and military training, the military medical department of the General Staff of the Military District, the military geographical department and military information services (intelligence), specialists from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Center for Oriental Studies, the Warsaw and the University of Lodz.

In addition to music and video recordings, the audio archive of the Department of Television and Radio Broadcasting contains extensive collections of audio on both military topics (the use of weapons and military equipment) and everyday human activity and the environment.

Currently, 18 soldiers from the central group are part of the psychological support group of the Multinational Division (MND) under Polish command in Iraq.

The main tasks of this operational group are: collecting and processing information about the activities of political and religious movements in Iraq, social and economic problems in the country, publications in print and other media; national customs of Iraqis, trends and trends in public life; the degree and level of public support for the actions of groups waging armed struggle against the forces of the anti-Saddam coalition, as well as conducting propaganda activities among the Iraqi population in the division’s area of ​​responsibility. The group prepares proposals and recommendations for MND personnel on working with the local population. Its participants carried out several events to distribute Polish humanitarian aid to Iraqis (the donated items and food products were marked with images of the national flags of Poland and Iraq, calls for a peaceful settlement and assistance to the interim administration). For direct propaganda, printed products of the MND field printing house and two sound broadcasting vehicles of the ZS “Perkun” type, which were equipped with a Webasco air conditioning system to carry out the mission in Iraqi conditions, are used. These sound broadcasting stations are designed to work for the benefit of the multinational force with the local population. Before being sent to Iraq, Poland prepared several audio broadcasts in Arabic, covering various typical situations, with the help of Arabic scholars and Iraqi citizens living in the Republic of Poland.

The personnel of the CGRPSD, which is planned to replace the psychological support group of the MND, are studying the basics of the Arabic language, the national psychological characteristics of the Iraqi population, the religious and socio-political situation in the country of destination. The teachers are people of Iraqi and Syrian origin living in Poland. This allows you to thoroughly study the destination area before the trip, as well as receive the necessary advice on issues related not only to the peculiarities of staying in Iraq, but also to providing information and psychological influence on Iraqis.

Representatives of the CGRPSD are also included in the peacekeeping contingents of the multinational forces: SFOR (in Bosnia and Herzegovina), KFOR (in Kosovo) and ISAF (in Afghanistan).

The activities of the central group military personnel stationed in Polish military contingents abroad are coordinated and provided with the necessary information by the psychological warfare intelligence center.

In accordance with the plans of the General Staff for the further reorganization of the Polish Armed Forces for 2003-2008, it is planned to include the TsGRPsD in the composition of the national special operations forces, which are planned to be formed and, on the basis of its leadership, to create a psychological warfare department within the structure of the General Staff.

Views of the Polish command on the conduct of psychological operations. After Poland joined NATO, the Polish Army completely switched to the normative standards generally accepted in the bloc, including regarding the use of forces and means of psychological operations. In particular, such a framework document is the alliance doctrine AJP-01 (B) “Joint use of groupings of NATO forces (December 2002).” Chapter XVI “Psychological operations” notes that PsyOps are carried out in order to have a negative impact on the moral and psychological state of enemy troops (forces), instill fear in personnel, and create an atmosphere of distrust among military personnel in their commanders. PsyOp activities can be carried out as part of misleading the enemy.

But the most complete views of the leadership of the North Atlantic Alliance on the conduct of PsyOps are reflected in NATO Directive AJP-3.7 “Psychological Operations” (March 2002). It emphasizes that psychological operations are a set of activities carried out in peacetime or war, as well as during a crisis situation, with the aim of influencing enemy troops and populations to form their views that contribute to the solution of certain political and military tasks.

PsyOps include: psychological actions at the state level, psychological measures to consolidate success, psychological impact on the battlefield and during peacekeeping operations. Targets may include military personnel and civilians of hostile or neutral countries, commanders and staff personnel of enemy forces, as well as military personnel of other (non-NATO) countries and their civilian populations.

Psychological actions at the state level and measures of a psychological nature to consolidate success are usually carried out according to the plans of the allied countries in the bloc and mainly without the participation of the armed forces. The North Atlantic Alliance, as a rule, does not take part in them. However, NATO needs to engage with countries that conduct such activities in the joint area of ​​operations. At the operational and tactical levels, psychological warfare and peacekeeping operations typically involve coalition military forces. The nature of the tasks and areas of activity in psychological operations vary depending on the objects of influence.

The main task of psychological operations forces participating in joint actions is to ensure the conduct of information and special operations, as well as the implementation of military-civil cooperation. In this regard, it is important that PsyOps are carefully agreed between all involved authorities and organizations.

The purpose of psychological operations is to weaken the will and influence the behavior of the enemy in the interests of ensuring the support of NATO troops (forces) involved in the operation. Activities carried out during PsO can be classified as “black”, “gray” or “white” depending on the degree of secrecy of the source of information transmission. “Black” events are messages that come from a closed source, “gray” ones - from a specially undisclosed source, “white” ones - are confirmed by a source (an accredited body).

Psychological operations against enemy armed forces personnel pursue the following goals: weakening their morale; creating an environment of uncertainty, apathy, defeatism and discontent; provoking strife, subversion, desertion and surrender. Initially, weaknesses in the political, economic, social and military position of the enemy are identified and assessed. Coordinated and consistent psychological attacks are then carried out based on the assessment results. They are carried out through the use of various media and must be consistent with appropriate public information activities at the tactical level and information impact at the strategic level.

From the point of view of the division of responsibilities between national authorities, the leadership of the country where NATO troops (forces) are stationed and the commanders of the bloc's Allied Forces, there are four main types of psychological operations. These include: psychological actions at the state level, measures of a psychological nature to consolidate success, providing psychological influence in the area of ​​​​combat operations and in peacekeeping operations. NATO military command and control bodies are responsible only for organizing psychological influence during combat operations and peacekeeping operations. In practice, all four types of PsO overlap each other in many cases.

Psychological actions at the state level (strategic PsyOps) are planned and carried out by the government leadership of NATO countries in the interests of influencing the population and personnel of the national armed forces of coalition, neutral and hostile states in peacetime, during a crisis or military conflict. They are usually long-term and political in nature. Such actions are aimed at undermining the enemy’s will to conduct military operations, as well as at gaining support from the population of neutral and allied countries. Responsibility for conducting such operations lies with the governments of NATO countries.

Psychological measures to consolidate success (consolidating PsyOps) are taken in crisis situations and during military conflicts to influence the civilian population in areas under the control of the commander of a joint group of troops (forces). The main purpose of such measures is to create conditions for support of the actions of NATO forces from the local population. They must be carried out in concert with psychological actions at the state level. Responsibility for the implementation of psychological measures to consolidate success lies with the military and political structures of the countries participating in the operation or the country where the group of troops (forces) is located. These measures must be coordinated with the commander of the joint group of troops (forces). In areas outside NATO's area of ​​responsibility or the territories of friendly states, responsibility for the implementation of such measures may be assigned to the commander of a joint group of troops (forces).

Psychological actions in the combat area are carried out at the operational and tactical levels in the interests of creating a psychological advantage for the coalition troops (forces) conducting military operations. Responsibility for organizing and conducting such actions lies with the commander of a joint group of troops (forces). Their planning is carried out within the framework of the overall planning of joint operations (combat actions) of NATO Allied Forces. These actions are directed directly against the enemy's armed forces, as well as against the population under his control.

The purpose of such actions is to reduce the enemy’s combat power by undermining the morale of his troops or preparing a positive attitude of the civilian population towards the actions of the coalition group of troops (forces).

Planning of psychological operations is carried out in peacetime, and the transition to them is carried out with the outbreak of hostilities.

Preparation of psychological actions in the combat area is carried out in accordance with the instructions of the commander of the joint group of troops (forces).

Psychological actions during peacekeeping operations are carried out at the operational and tactical levels in the interests of ensuring the fulfillment of the mission of the Alliance peacekeeping forces.

Responsibility for organizing and conducting psychological actions in peacekeeping operations lies with the commander of a joint group of troops (forces). They are planned as part of the overall planning of a peacekeeping operation and are carefully coordinated with the activities of the public information and civil-military cooperation plan.

These actions are carried out against the conflicting parties and the civilian population in the area of ​​operation in the interests of creating an atmosphere of support for the coalition group of troops (forces). Their goal is the psychological protection of coalition troops (forces) located in the area of ​​operation. They are conducted openly in accordance with NATO's doctrinal views on peacekeeping.

Planning of psychological actions in peacekeeping operations is carried out in accordance with the directive instructions of the commander of a joint group of troops (forces).

The objects of psychological influence are groups of enemy troops (forces) and various hostile groups of armed people. Due to the lack of forces and means necessary to conduct PsO, as a rule, it is necessary to focus efforts not on everyone, but only on the main objects of influence. In this case, it is necessary to take into account: the degree of susceptibility of specific recipients of information to psychological influence; the ability of information recipients to take appropriate response actions, both individually and as part of groups; access of targets to various sources of mass information; the significance of specific targets from the point of view of the goals and objectives of the operation.

After identifying the main objects of influence, the need arises for selecting and detailed elaboration of the content of the transmitted information, which is required to achieve the goals of the psychological operation. At the same time, the subject matter of such information must be trustworthy. To do this, it must be based on historical accuracy and knowledge of the current situation. To create an atmosphere of trust during PsO, you need to use the most truthful information.

The selected topics are designed to ensure the achievement of the goal of psychological operations, as well as to contribute to the solution of current and subsequent tasks facing the coalition group of troops (forces). The transmitted information should encourage the target to make reasonable, realistic and beneficial, from his point of view, decisions and act in accordance with them.

The content of psychological operations should be perceived by targets as an expression of their national interests, coinciding with NATO policy. Any discrepancy between the psychological influence themes used by various coalition command and control bodies can discredit the goals of the joint operation and harm the activities of the joint group of troops (forces). To avoid such discrepancies, detailed coordination of the activities of all structures involved in psychological operations is necessary.

Timely PsyOp activities significantly contribute to the success of the actions of troops (forces), and, if necessary, minimize the negative consequences of unsuccessful operations. Otherwise, they may turn out to be ineffective or even beneficial to the enemy. The personnel of the PsyOps forces must be able to analyze the psychological situation that has developed in the area where enemy troops are deployed, select suitable targets and topics, as well as coordinate and carry out activities taking into account the dynamics of the development of the situation. All these actions must be carried out quickly in order to make the most of the favorable environment.

You cannot expect immediate results from psychological operations. It takes time for ideas to be “correctly” perceived by the enemy, for his morale to decrease, for contradictions to arise within the opposing group, and, consequently, for the effectiveness of the actions of coalition troops (forces) to increase. Given that PsyOps can contribute to the cessation of active hostilities, they must be initiated at the earliest stages of joint operations. Where possible, PsyOps activities should begin before troops are deployed to the joint operation area.

The psychological operation plan is approved by the NATO Council and the bloc's Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

Planning of psychological actions in the area of ​​combat operations and in peacekeeping operations should be carried out by the headquarters of the joint command of the alliance's joint forces. This document should identify the enemy's strengths and weaknesses, the goals of psychological operations, likely targets, and “reliable” information topics. In addition, the plan must contain instructions on the use of the media to influence enemy personnel, as well as restrictions on these issues. After approval of the plan, all activities defined in it must be strictly carried out by each level of management. The requirement for PsyOp plans to be approved by a senior commander to some extent limits the freedom of action of commanders at the operational and tactical command and control levels. However, this is a necessary limitation.

Psychological operations are an integral part of military (combat) operations at the strategic, operational and tactical levels. The development of PsyOps plans, which should be part of the overall operational plan, begins at the earliest stage of planning. The activities provided for within the framework of psychological operations must be taken into account in all types of activities carried out by the commander of a joint group of troops (forces) within the framework of a joint operation. It is also necessary to take measures to prevent or reduce the negative impact of PsyOps activities on unplanned targets, and primarily on the personnel of the coalition group of troops (forces).

In the interests of ensuring the fulfillment of the combat mission, the countries participating in the operation can transfer their forces and means of psychological operations under the operational control of the commander of the joint group of troops (forces). The behavior of the personnel of their troops (forces) influences the local population and is of great importance in obtaining support from them. The tasks of the command include informing the military personnel of the joint group of troops (forces) about the cultural and national traditions of the population in the area of ​​​​joint operations. Knowledge of these traditions will allow you to establish closer contacts with the local population and avoid any misunderstanding and possible conflict with the local population. PsyOps teams are called upon to inform their troops (forces) regarding the local features of the area of ​​​​joint operations.

In the interests of successful psychological operations, PsyOps forces personnel must interact closely with all interested headquarters units. Targets and “trusted” information systems can only be selected correctly on the basis of reliable intelligence information. Intelligence obtained during the implementation of measures to suppress the enemy’s command and control system and protect the command and control system of friendly troops are of utmost importance for assessing the effectiveness of psychological actions.

When conducting psychological actions within the framework of peacekeeping operations, the interaction of PsyOps forces and public information agencies becomes of great importance. This is due to the fact that they, as a rule, have the same objects of influence and the topics of the information messages they transmit largely overlap. To coordinate all issues of information activities, a coordination committee may be created, headed by a public information officer. In matters of providing data about the warring parties and the effectiveness of ongoing psychological measures, an important role belongs to intelligence agencies, forces and means.

The main task of public information bodies is to inform the population of NATO countries about the activities of coalition troops (forces) both on the territory of the alliance states and beyond. Information transmitted through the media must be reliable, objective and timely. It is also necessary for these bodies to work closely with local media. During psychological operations, influence is exerted on both the personnel of the armed forces and the local population. To ensure support for the actions of a joint group of troops (forces), the most truthful information should be used whenever possible. PsyOps forces have special means, including printing facilities, loudspeakers and radio transmitters to convey information to targets.

A significant part of the information necessary for conducting psychological operations, for example, about the moral and psychological state of the target and its weaknesses, is obtained from open sources and can be obtained in peacetime through a comprehensive study of specific countries. The most important source of obtaining information in the interests of conducting psychological operations are intelligence sources (without the use of technical intelligence means), which make it possible to illuminate: cultural, religious, social, economic and political characteristics of the country and region; internal contradictions in the enemy camp (the presence of ethnic and religious minorities); the structure of the enemy's state and military command; popular radio and television programs, periodicals, films, important holidays and historical events.

Psychological operations and civil-military cooperation activities complement each other. PsyOps can be conducted to influence the condition and behavior of the local population in the area of ​​joint operations. The personnel of the bodies and units of military-civil cooperation solve problems in the interests of achieving stabilization of the internal political situation in a crisis area, the improvement of which can influence the condition and actions of the personnel of the enemy (warring parties) in a manner beneficial to the coalition. The functions of civil-military cooperation include maintaining communication and interaction with foreign missions, local authorities, the UN and non-governmental organizations in order to coordinate the use of local human and material resources; use of local infrastructure; support for civilian institutions through the allocation of engineering, logistics and medical support units.

Psychological operations must solve problems in the interests of civil-military cooperation structures by establishing trusting relationships with the local population and authorities to adequately prepare public opinion. At the same time, many activities carried out within the framework of military-civil cooperation inherently have an effective psychological impact. Thus, close interaction between the command of the PsyOps forces and the bodies of military-civil cooperation is organized at all stages of the preparation and conduct of the operation of the joint group of troops (forces).

Following all the doctrinal requirements of NATO documents, the command of the Polish Army undertook to: develop national plans and programs in strict accordance with the approved concept and doctrine of NATO PsyOps; provide for the conduct of psychological operations when planning the combat and daily activities of their troops and make appropriate amendments to national policy and planning documents. An important problem remains ensuring the compatibility of the technical equipment necessary for conducting psychological operations as part of the NATO Allied Forces, and therefore this problem comes to the fore in the development of special equipment to equip the Polish PsyOps forces. In addition, the Polish command has undertaken to provide available intelligence information, research and analysis results on psychological warfare issues to all interested NATO PsyOps structures.

To work out the issues of conducting psychological operations, it is planned to include PsO in command and staff exercises and training (KShU and KShT). The group's military personnel are involved in almost all major national and NATO operational combat training events. Thus, for the current year, it is planned that Polish psychological warfare units will participate in all multinational exercises within NATO, which will allow the exchange of experience, the development of common approaches to organizing and conducting psychological operations and will contribute to closer integration of the PsyOp VP apparatus with NATO structures.

The first significant international event in which the Center took part was the NATO Allied Forces exercise “Strong Resolve 2002”, which took place from March 1 to March 15, 2002 in Poland and Norway. Their main goal was to conduct CST as part of joint task forces of psychological operations.

On the territory of Norway, under the general leadership of the sub-regional command of the joint armed forces of NATO “North”, a task force consisting of PsyOps units from the USA, France and Poland was deployed. They solved the problems of planning and organizing information and psychological support for the alliance's joint forces during the conduct of military operations using weapons of mass destruction.

On the territory of Poland, under the general leadership of the NATO sub-regional command North-East, options for information and psychological warfare were worked out in a peace enforcement operation. Thus, in accordance with the directive of the commander of the Alliance Strike Fleet in the Atlantic, a multinational group of more than 40 officers was created. It included: 10 representatives from Germany, 14 from Poland, 10 from Romania, as well as several people each from France, the Netherlands, the USA, Spain and Turkey. This group was engaged in solving problems of planning and organizing information and psychological support for the actions of the NATO Allied Forces during a peacekeeping operation. The main focus of the CST was on training primarily Polish and Romanian officers in the planning, organization and conduct of psychological operations in accordance with the requirements of the governing documents of the joint NATO armed forces. This is due to the fact that in the armed forces of the Republic of Poland the PsyOp group was created only recently, and Romania was among the top candidates for joining the alliance.

The main form of information and psychological influence during these trainings was radio broadcasting. In addition, during the NATO Allied Forces exercise Strong Resolve 2002, Polish PsyOp units made extensive use of the Pioneer and Perkun sound broadcasting stations, whose crews practiced actions in a peacekeeping operation. In particular, ZS were hypothetically used to disperse demonstrations and convey information to an aggressive population.

In addition, the option of creating an autonomous information system to influence the enemy and the population in the area of ​​armed conflict was tested. To provide information and psychological support for the actions of NATO forces, several mobile VHF radio stations were deployed, which were assigned the following tasks: achieving information superiority over the enemy; strengthening the morale of military personnel of the alliance; ensuring the loyal attitude of the local population to the actions of the united forces; checking the condition and capabilities of technical equipment; countering the propaganda of a hypothetical enemy.

On the territory of Poland, the possibility of countering enemy radio propaganda was studied. According to the legend of the exercises, it was conducted by the conventional radio station “NFI” (NFI). In order to neutralize the information and psychological impact of the enemy, the exercises worked out the identification, classification and destruction of this radio station. According to the assessments of NATO psychological warfare experts, the military leadership of Poland, in accordance with the requirements of the NATO leadership, is successfully solving the task of training bodies and units intended to carry out activities of this type of combat support.

Technical equipment of the PsO bodies of the Polish Army. The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Poland pays great attention to increasing the readiness of the central group of psychological actions of the Polish Army to conduct psychological warfare when supporting the actions of troops (forces) in modern armed conflicts. For this purpose, it is planned to replace the outdated equipment in service with the latest models. Until now, almost all special equipment was mainly made in the Soviet Union or Warsaw Pact countries.

Thus, this group is armed with a launcher for FLG-5000A propaganda rockets manufactured in the former GDR, mounted on the chassis of a Soviet-made UAZ-469 vehicle.

At the same base there are two sound broadcasting stations “Pioneer-bis”. Created in the late 80s, they were never put into mass production due to their mediocre characteristics, although they were supposed to replace the Polish-made Pioneer ZS, which was still in service, mounted on the chassis of the Soviet UAZ-452 car. These sound broadcasting stations were assembled in the 70s and 80s at the military communications plant (VZL-2) in Czernica Wroclaw for the needs of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Poland. Each is equipped with a set of stationary speakers with a total power of 600 W, which theoretically allows sound broadcasting over a distance of up to 4 km. In reality, the broadcast range does not exceed 3 km and depends on external conditions. In addition, the station has external speakers. Audio broadcasting can be carried out from a microphone, tape recorder, radio or line input. The amplifier is assembled using tubes, so it is not reliable. ZS "Pioneer" is equipped with a radio station R-107, which was intended not only for communication, but also for remote control of all sound transmitting equipment. This station was in service with the sound broadcasting departments of PsyOp groups of the districts (there are four departments in total, six ZS in each), as well as in the special propaganda departments of some divisions.

Currently, the Pioneer station is being removed from service. Since 2002, it has been replaced by the Perkun (Drummer) sound broadcasting station, manufactured at the same military plant.

According to the terms of the three-year contract, the company will supply up to 20 Perkun vehicles based on the Andoria Mot Honker 2424 all-wheel drive off-road vehicle. To date, 12 sound broadcasting stations have been manufactured; during 2005, it is planned to release a third batch of six units. The plant has established the production of sound stations themselves, their installation on a car, as well as equipping the stations with Japanese-made audio equipment and communications equipment.

ZS "Perkun" has a total power of 800 W. The installation of speakers (bells) on the roof of the car provides sound broadcasting over a distance of 2.5-3 km - with directional broadcasting and about 1 km - with sound broadcasting in a circular mode. The speakers are connected to an MX-001 audio mixer and a PA-800 power amplifier. The equipment set also includes a 10-CD changer, a CD player, a Sony car radio, a Sekaku VXM 286 TC wireless microphone, which works with a four-line mixing console, and an on-board computer. For communication equipment, the crew has a built-in Radmore RRC-9500 VHF radio station and a Radmore 3501 mobile VHF radio station.

The station's on-board computer allows for digital editing of information messages and special sound effects, for example, simulating the sounds of gunfire, the movement of tanks, helicopters and other military equipment.

In addition, each machine may include a backpack-type portable sound broadcasting station (PCS) RP-1 produced by the VZL-2 plant, which is serviced by two operators. Its effective broadcast range reaches 400 m.

Tests of the new AP are carried out in real combat conditions in Iraq. According to Polish experts, part of the batch of 20 Perkun sound broadcasting stations will be intended for other, non-military structures, where there may be a need for sound broadcasting to a large audience outdoors. An analysis of the capabilities of this station shows that it will be used by the Polish armed forces as a means of influencing primarily the population during both peacekeeping and other operations. This satellite can be successfully used when accompanying humanitarian convoys and broadcasting to objects in the city. The lack of armor protection makes it unlikely to be used on the battlefield in the presence of active enemy fire when operating in the first echelon.

For radio broadcasting, military radio stations of medium and high power, equipped with a standard set-top box, which will allow broadcasting radio programs, can be used. The Polish Army recently used R-140 radio stations with a power of 1 kW. In order to conduct radio propaganda, the PsyOps bodies of the VP plan to involve civilian local radio stations. At the same time, radio programs can be prepared both at the radio stations themselves, and in the field using special equipment that is equipped with the Center for Graduation. Specialists of the PsyOps team are able to provide the preparation of radio programs that are intended for broadcast by a regular radio station or regional radio channels. In addition, they prepare sound programs for sound broadcasting stations.

Printing equipment is represented by both stationary and mobile printing houses. The stationary one is equipped with standard Planeta and Heidelberg offset printing machines. The group's printing capacity allows it to publish about 1 million leaflets per day.

The TsGrPSD is armed with field automobile printing houses (type A). Each is equipped with a Czech-made offset printing machine “Romayor-314 or -313”, a copy frame for making printing plates and a cutter. The entire printing house is located on two off-road vehicles “Star-660M2E2” or “Star-266”. Power is supplied from an industrial current network with a voltage of 380 V or from a mobile power station PAD-36. Such a printing house is able to produce up to 35 thousand A5 leaflets.

The Polish Army uses aviation, artillery and rocketry to distribute leaflets.

Thus, the Soviet-made bomb “AGITAB 250-85” is classified as an aviation weapon. It holds about 35 thousand A6 leaflets.

Polish PsyOps experts consider artillery means of dissemination to be less effective than airborne ones. However, there is no alternative to them on the battlefield, so the artillery depots of the Polish Army have stocks of propaganda shells for 122 mm howitzers and 120 mm propaganda mines.

Most often in peacetime it is planned to use such reactive means of proliferation as the already mentioned launcher of reactive propaganda missiles produced by the former GDR FLG-5000A4 and HLZ-1000A. In particular, the 116-mm FLG-5000A4 rocket is capable of delivering 3,400 A6 leaflets over a distance of over 5 km. The Polish Army is armed with a flare of the same caliber. As for the 36-mm hand-held rocket HLZ-1000A, it can hold up to 150 leaflets of the same format, which can be delivered over a distance of up to 1 km.

Until recently, the PsyOp bodies of the Polish Army had mostly obsolete and largely worn-out special equipment. However, thanks to the adopted rearmament program, the psychological operations service is being rapidly equipped with modern technical means, including radio, television and printing equipment of the latest generation. In this case, priority is given to the best samples of both domestic and foreign production.

Thus, the military-political leadership of Poland attaches great importance to the deployment of PsyOps at all levels - strategic, operational and tactical. To this end, the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Poland is taking a number of organizational measures to improve the material base and technological capabilities of the PsyOps forces, as well as to attract highly qualified specialists to carry them out.

Colonel L. Golyev

“Foreign Military Review” No. 3, 2005

Soldiers from the 350th Tactical Psychological Operations Group of the 10th Mountain Division of the US Army “attack” residents of a village in the Iraqi province of Kirkuk with leaflets. Photo from www.osd.mil

Here are PsV, PsB and PsO. Until recently, these abbreviations were unknown to the general public, were used mainly by specialists in the field, and were even considered secret. However, there is nothing supernatural or secret in their decoding: psychological warfare (PsW), psychological warfare (PsB) and psychological operations (PsO). Exactly everything that can be observed in the last few months during the events in Ukraine.

CAN DO WITHOUT A FIGHT

The fact of the arrival of NATO specialists in the field of organizing and conducting psychological operations in Ukraine was confirmed on March 13, 2014. Isn't this an open intervention by the West and a blow to our national interests? How can Russia respond to this?

Unfortunately, we can answer in this case with little, since after the reform of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the number of officers involved in planning and conducting psychological operations was significantly reduced, and their quality decreased significantly. This is due to the fact that mainly senior officers were transferred to the reserve. People with rich life and work experience. They were replaced by young, undoubtedly talented, but still lacking real experience officers.

Life experience proves that the decision to reform a particular unit, even one that solves important or special tasks, is often made by people who do not have competence in this matter. Until now, the vast majority of father-commanders in the army for some reason believe that a psychological warfare officer deals with psychological problems in the team, that is, he plays the role of a full-time psychologist, prevents hazing, or something like that.

All this is untrue and only confirms the fact that the Russian military-political leadership should reconsider the individual results of the reform as quickly as possible. Indeed, in reality, the goals and objectives solved by psychological operations specialists are much more global and important. As Igor Panarin correctly writes in his book “Media, Propaganda and Information Wars”, information influence on the enemy is “direct and indirect influence on the opinions, moods, feelings and, ultimately, on the enemy’s behavior in order to force him to act in directions that suit us.” " To win by force of arms - sometimes no special intelligence is required here, only brute force and superiority in manpower and weapons. But convincing the enemy that you are right and forcing him to surrender without a fight is real aerobatics.

However, one should not confuse such different concepts as “propaganda” and “psychological influence.” Propaganda is, if you like, advertising, PR. You can often hear: “clumsy propaganda”, “naive propaganda”, “shady propaganda” and other things in the same spirit. Psychological influence is a much more delicate influence on the desires and moods of the opponent. It's like the air we breathe. It is tasteless, colorless, odorless, but is always and everywhere present. Since any information carries one or another shade of attitude towards what is happening.

Those people are naive who believe (and even more so insist on this) that unbiased coverage of events is possible, especially such as a revolution, a violent change of power, a terrorist attack, etc. There are no naive professionals in the high-tech fields. Therefore, if you hear from such people that they are exclusively engaged in neutrally presenting information without analysis or commentary, then you are dealing with information impact professionals.

At the same time, both propaganda and psychological influence are an integral part of information warfare.

YIELD TO THE PRESSURE

Today, experts have the feeling that in terms of information, Russia is yielding to the onslaught of foreign media. What about foreigners? In their own country, the Russian media are “traditionally” divided into two camps. While some stand up to defend the interests of the Russian-speaking population and the interests of their country, other television and radio channels pour information dirt on their own authorities and government, wishing it to lose in the information (and not only) war. Is it normal to want your country to lose? Is this democracy, pluralism? Is this why our great-grandfathers fought in the Great Patriotic War? Then the question arises: what is betrayal?

This may seem strange to some, but the information war against the Russian people has never stopped. The entire world history speaks about this, starting from Ancient Rus' and ending with the present period. This, if you like, is a struggle of civilizations, Anglo-Saxon and Russian culture. So it was, so it is and so it will be. Sometimes the intensity of passions subsided a little and seemed to dissolve in the bustle of everyday life. Today, you and I are becoming living witnesses to the next round of history and information warfare.

To successfully conduct psychological struggle, an integrated and systematic approach is required. This must be done constantly, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week: collecting, processing and analyzing information both in Russian and in other languages. Therefore, only professionals who have undergone many years of training, have an excellent knowledge of foreign languages ​​and the mentality of the population of the country (region) being studied, have a broad outlook and extensive life experience, as well as true patriots of their Motherland, work in this field.

Constant and painstaking work is required. Under the previous defense minister, there was an opinion that the armed forces did not need doctors, translators, lawyers and psychological warfare officers. Because if the need arises, you can quickly hire the appropriate specialists in civilian life. Now such a need has arisen in connection with the situation in Ukraine. And what? Where are these civilian specialists? Why did Russia miss the first information strike? Why are we again in the role of catching up? Why did this come as a surprise to us? There are more questions than answers.

Exactly the same situation arose during the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict in 2008. Psychological campaign specialists have one golden rule: whoever gave the information first is right. The one who didn’t have time is always in the role of catching up and making excuses. Agree that the side making excuses does not inspire confidence, since there is a feeling that since it is justified, it means that something happened.

Psychological struggle is completely unthinkable without linguistic support. The main thing is not the picture, but the caption to it. During the events of August 2008, CNN showed the same footage as the Russian TV channel ORT, but explained to English-speaking audiences that it was Russian troops who had entered Tbilisi. Thus, the foreign viewer was given an outright and blatant lie, on the basis of which he drew completely incorrect conclusions.

During the escalation of events surrounding the status of Crimea, Western channels constantly showed how Russian soldiers were walking around Crimea with machine guns at the ready, wrote on blogs about Ukrainian girls raped by Russian servicemen, and in every possible way frightened the public with ultimatums and threats allegedly received from Russia. For us, such informational nonsense makes us smile, but ordinary residents of Ukraine, unfortunately, willingly believe in any nonsense, because they are under pressure from the flow of information, one-sidedly broadcast by the local media, which, in turn, obediently dance to the tune of the United States. At the same time, Russian channels are being switched off from broadcasting in Ukraine. This is the American style of pluralism of opinions.

A COUP, NOT A REVOLUTION

If we turn to the recent history of Russia, we can easily remember that Chechen militants in the English-language media were called nothing more than rebels and partisans. There is nothing new under the sun. And today, linguistic juggling of terms begins with the expectation that “people will grab it.” Let us leave aside the reasons (corruption, indecisiveness of the authorities, low standard of living of the population) that led the Ukrainian state to such a sad ending. Let's consider targeted information injections into the international information space with the aim of changing public consciousness. And in recent months, the public has been persistently imposing the opinion that a revolution took place in Ukraine, and not an armed coup d’etat.

According to the accepted terminology, “a revolution is a revolution in the life of society, which leads to the elimination of the previous social and political system and the establishment of a new government.” Seizing power is not yet a revolution. There is no talk here of any change in the political formation (there was capitalism, now there is socialism, for example). Even the characters are the same as those who were once in power during the presidency of Viktor Yushchenko.

Legitimacy is another term that requires clarification. Let us turn again to the dictionary: “legitimacy is the consent of the people with the authorities when they voluntarily recognize their right to make binding decisions.” If the overwhelming number of residents of Crimea supported their own government, therefore, it was legitimate and acted in the interests of its people, which was confirmed in the referendum of March 16, 2014. No matter who and no matter what they say to this and no matter how much they shout that “never and under no circumstances” will recognize the very fact of its holding.

This is also true vice versa. In Kyiv, several thousand people, well trained and trained to clash with the forces of law and order, took part in the coup d'etat. Yes, of course, it cannot be denied that, in addition to the militants of the ultra-right forces, there were naive townspeople who played the role of extras. However, their combined total number did not exceed 0.01% of the total population of Ukraine. It’s not even the tail that the dog is wagging, but something even smaller. Therefore, there is nothing strange in the fact that the “government of people’s trust”, supposedly approved by the protesters, cannot be called legitimate.

The Western media can call the new government legitimate day after day for as long as they like, but this will not change the situation. Or will he change? Here it is worth remembering the words of the Reich Minister of Propaganda of the “thousand-year” German Reich, Joseph Goebbels: “If you tell a big enough lie and repeat it, then people will eventually believe it... If you tell a person a hundred times that he is a pig, then at one hundred and one he will grunt.” It turns out that the countries of Western Europe and the United States are working strictly “according to Goebbels.”

When it comes to the shooting on Independence Square in Kyiv, foreign media “forget” to mention armed radicals shouting fascist slogans. At the same time, the selection of spectacular shots (albeit without commentary) was focused exclusively on the protesters. Where, one wonders, are the footage of burning and wounded policemen? This is called “we just give the news, you draw your own conclusions.” Strictly as Dr. Goebbels taught.

Events in Ukraine have once again highlighted the problem of double standards. Everyone knows about the Kosovo precedent, so I won’t talk about it. However, few people today remember that during the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine left the USSR by notification, without any referendums, as in Estonia, for example. By the way, the United States did the same thing at one time, notifying Great Britain of its independence.

Who will tell the truth and convey it to the duped Western man in the street and the disoriented Ukrainian citizen? I think the answer is obvious. Today, history has entrusted Russia with a mission - to stand guard over universal human values, defending its legitimate interests and the interests of Russian Orthodox culture. It was not Russia that started this information war, but it is Russia that is once again entrusted with a historical mission - to give a worthy rebuff to information aggressors. Moreover, in the field of information warfare, Russia can work no less beautifully and convincingly than the United States or NATO. Russians take a long time to harness, but they learn quickly.

Sometimes it doesn't work out right away. It's OK! After a conflict, think about what you should do. Watch the conflicts of others, try to understand their mechanism and outline ways out of them. It's better to learn from other people's mistakes.

Objectivity of the laws of psychology

When it rains, we sit at home or take an umbrella with us, but we don’t scold the sky and clouds. We know that the laws by which it rains do not depend on us, and we simply try to adapt to them to the best of our ability. But then a conflict arises in the family, at work, on the street or in transport, and instead of the enchanting magical sounds of harmonious communication, intimacy, love, the creak of overworked hearts and the crack of broken destinies are heard. It always seems that if it weren’t for the evil will of our communication partner, there would be no conflict. What is our partner thinking about? About the same thing.

We mentally try to impose one or another style of behavior on our partner. We defeat him, push him to the wall and calm down for a while, since it seems to us that we have gained some experience in this conflict. What is our partner doing? The same. And often we do not suspect that the laws of communication are as objective as the laws of nature and society.

The smartest and the dumbest

An example is the following psychological experiment from the Dembo test. Let there be a vertical scale in front of you. At its north pole the smartest people are, at the south pole the stupidest. Find your place on this scale. Have you placed yourself in the middle? No, a little higher! Did you guess it? Maybe you think that I can read other people's thoughts? No. I just know the laws of psychology. Any person of sound mind and solid memory places himself here. Based on this test, you can show your loved ones a trick.

Conduct an experiment with him, and then present a piece of paper prepared in advance with the result. The coincidence is sometimes down to a millimeter. What conclusion can be drawn from this elegant experiment? When communicating with a partner, we must remember that we are communicating with a person who has a good opinion of himself. This must be emphasized with your entire appearance, the construction of phrases during a conversation, it is also important to ensure that there are no dismissive gestures, a condescending facial expression, etc. It is best if during a conversation you look attentively at the interlocutor all the time, as happens during a fight.

In addition, the partner's answer is programmed in the question itself. And not just programmed. This is a forced answer. Try placing yourself at the North Pole. Does not work? Right. People with weak minds usually place themselves closer to the North Pole. And closer to the south? It doesn't work either. People who are deeply depressed, or sages like Socrates, who said: “I only know that I know nothing,” place themselves closer to the south pole. By the way, with this test we seem to measure our intelligence, the value of which is higher than the line we have noted. If our partner's answer does not suit us (and, as we have just established, he is forced to), we have asked the wrong question.

Thus, in order to manage a communication partner, it is necessary to model your behavior, and he will be forced to act as we need. The question arises: what about the partner? We win, but what will happen to him? This is the peculiarity of psychological struggle, that there are no winners and losers. Here either both win or both lose. Therefore, your victory will also be the victory of your partner. Under no circumstances should you educate your partner. Let us remember that education ends by the age of five to seven years. Further influence is called re-education. And this is only possible with the help of self-education. Everyone can re-educate only one person - himself. Thus, the object of education is always at hand.

A brilliant prospect opens up: work on yourself, your behavior, study the laws of psychological struggle. Be a wise and forgiving teacher. Do not punish your ward too harshly, try to persuade him. After all, re-education is perestroika, and perestroika is always difficult and painful. Be firm in your goal, but gentle in your means. Remember that acquiring knowledge is like winding a ball. So, let's go to battle!

Depreciation Basics

When approaching communication with a view of it as a psychological struggle, one should rely on the wisdom accumulated over the centuries (biblical texts, teachings of eastern sages, etc.).

Practice systematically. The question is, where can I get the time? And it is not additionally needed. Each of us communicates, each of us has failures. (Those who are satisfied with the results of their communication, who are loved by their friends, adored by their spouse, idolized by their subordinates, respected by their superiors, who never conflict, should not read this manual. These are geniuses of communication. They have already mastered everything on an intuitive level. ) Such failures must be carefully analyzed in the light of the knowledge gained from this book, and only look for your own mistakes. “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not feel the plank in your eye?.. First take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see how to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Don't be afraid of difficulties and failures. “Enter in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go therein; for strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leadeth to life, and not many find it.”

Practice defense first, defense. Sometimes this alone is enough for successful communication. “Make peace with your opponent quickly, while you are still on the road with him...”

Don't pay attention to the ridicule of others. “Do not answer a fool according to his foolishness, lest you also become like him.”

Do not rejoice in success, since pride and arrogance precede destruction.

During the training period, completely give the initiative to your partner.

The principle of depreciation is based on the laws of inertia, which are characteristic not only of physical bodies, but also of biological systems. To pay it off, we use depreciation without always realizing it. And since we don’t realize it, we don’t always use it. We use physical shock absorption much more successfully. If we were pushed from a height and thereby forced to fall, we continue the movement that was imposed on us - we absorb, thereby extinguishing the consequences of the push, and only then we stand on straight legs and straighten up. If we are pushed into the water, then here too we first continue the movement that was imposed on us, and only after the forces of inertia have dried up do we emerge.

Athletes are specially trained in depreciation. Watch how a football player takes the ball, how a boxer avoids blows and how a wrestler falls in the direction in which his opponent is pushing him. At the same time, he carries the latter along with him, then adds a little of his energy and ends up at the top, actually using his own strength. The principle of depreciation in interpersonal relationships is also based on this.

The depreciation model is presented in “The Adventures of the Good Soldier Schweik”: “Schroeder stopped in front of Schweik and began to look at him. The colonel summed up the results of his observations in one word:

Idiot!
- I dare to report, Mr. Colonel, idiot! - answered Schweik.

What does a partner expect when he approaches us with certain proposals? It is not difficult to guess - with our consent. The whole body, all metabolic processes, the whole psyche are tuned to this. And suddenly we refuse. How does he feel about this? Can't imagine? Remember how you felt when you invited your partner to a dance or to a movie, but you were refused! Remember how you felt when you were denied a job you were interested in, although you knew that there were no valid reasons for such a refusal! Of course, it should be our way, but the first move should be depreciation. Then there remains the opportunity for productive contacts in the future. Thus, amortization is immediate agreement with the partner's arguments. Depreciation can be direct, delayed or preventive.

Direct depreciation

Direct depreciation is often used in the process of communication in situations of “psychological stroking”, when you are given compliments or flattery, invitations to cooperate, or inflicting a “psychological blow”.

Here are examples of depreciation techniques. With "psychological stroking"

A: You look great today.
B: Thank you for the compliment! I look really good.

The last sentence is mandatory: some give compliments insincerely with the conscious or unconscious purpose of embarrassing their partner. The answer can end here, but if you suspect your partner of insincerity, you can add the following: I am especially pleased to hear this from you, because I have no doubt about your sincerity.

When invited to cooperate
A: We offer you the position of shop manager.
B: 1) Thank you. I agree (if agreed).
2) Thank you for the interesting offer. You need to think and weigh everything (if a negative answer is expected).

It should be noted that the psychological aikido specialist gives consent after the first invitation. If the first invitation was insincere, everything immediately falls into place. Next time they won't play these games with you. If the invitation is sincere, you will be grateful for your prompt acceptance. On the other hand, when you have to make any business proposal yourself, you should also make it only once. Let us remember the rule: “To persuade is to force.” Typically, a specialist in psychological aikido does not offer anything himself, but organizes his activities in such a way that he is invited to work on something that interests him.

With a "psychological blow"
A: You are a fool!
B: You are absolutely right! (avoiding the blow).

Usually two or three evasions from an attack are enough. The partner falls into a state of “psychological groggy”; he is disoriented and confused. There is no need to hit him anymore. I am confident in your integrity, my dear reader! You won’t hit someone who is lying down unnecessarily. If absolutely necessary, the answer can be continued as follows: - How quickly you realized that I was a fool. I managed to hide this from everyone for so many years. With your insight, a great future awaits you! I'm just surprised that your bosses haven't appreciated you yet!

To illustrate, I will describe a scene that occurred on the bus. Psychological aikido specialist M., letting the fair sex pass, was the last to squeeze onto the crowded bus. When the door closed, he began to look in his many pockets (he was wearing a jacket, trousers and jacket) for coupons. At the same time, he naturally caused some inconvenience to G., who was standing one step higher. Suddenly a “psychological stone” was thrown at him.

G. said angrily: “How long will you continue poking around?!”

A depreciating answer immediately followed: - For a long time.
The dialogue then proceeded as follows:
G.: But this way my coat can fit on my head!

M.: Maybe.
G.: There is nothing funny!
M.: Indeed, there is nothing funny.
There was a friendly laugh.

G. did not utter a single word during the entire trip. Imagine how long the conflict would have continued if the first remark had been followed by the traditional answer: “This is not a taxi for you, you can be patient!” Options for direct depreciation have been described here. Those beginning to master this technique often complain that at the moment of contact they do not have time to figure out how to carry out depreciation, and respond in their usual, conflicting style. The point is not ingenuity, but in the fact that many of our behavior patterns operate automatically, without the inclusion of thinking. First of all, you should suppress them and carefully monitor your partner’s actions, his words and agree. There is no need to compose anything here! Read the example again. You see, M. used the “energy” of his partner - he himself did not come up with a single word!

Deferred depreciation

When direct depreciation still fails, delayed depreciation can be used. If direct contact between partners has ceased, a letter of amortization can be sent. A serviceman, a 42-year-old man, came to me for psychological help. Let's call him N. He was in a depressed mood. Previously, he took a course in psychological aikido from me and successfully used techniques of direct depreciation, which allowed him to significantly strengthen his position at work and introduce his developments into production. I even thought that he would not have any more troubles, so his visit was somewhat unexpected for me. He told the following story.

About a year and a half ago, he became interested in an employee from a neighboring department. The initiative for rapprochement came from her. She admired our hero beyond measure and sympathized with him when he had failures. Under his leadership, she began to master the methods he developed, mastered them quite successfully and became his ardent follower. She was the first to declare her love. They were already planning to start a life together, when suddenly, completely unexpectedly for him, his girlfriend suggested stopping meetings. This happened a few days after he was offered to go into the reserves, but remain in a free agency. This was a nuisance, but not so significant, because he could continue his research, although the salary became significantly less.

He perceived the breakup with his girlfriend as a disaster. Everything seemed to be falling apart. He would have to depreciate here, and everything would fall into place. But he began to sort things out. This did not lead to anything, and he decided not to talk to her at all anymore, to “endure it,” because he understood that in the end everything would pass. This went on for about a month. He did not see her and began to calm down. But suddenly she began to turn to him with business questions without any need and looked at him with tenderness. For some time the relationship improved, but then a break followed again. This went on for another six months, until he finally realized that she was mocking him, but he could not resist her provocations. By this time he had developed severe depressive neurosis.

During another quarrel, she told him that she never loved him at all. This was the final blow. And he asked for help. It was absolutely clear to me that there was no point in sending him into battle now. Then we wrote a depreciation letter together. Here is its content:

“You are absolutely right that you stopped our meetings. I thank you for the pleasure that you gave me, apparently out of pity. You played so skillfully that I did not doubt for a second that you loved me. You carried me away, and I could not help but respond to your, as I then considered, feeling. There was not a single false note in it. I am not writing this so that you will return. Now this is no longer possible! If you again say that you love me, how can I believe? Now I understand how hard it was for you to be with me! Not to love, and to behave like that! And the last request. Try not to meet with doubts, even on business. We need to get out of the habit. They say time heals, although for now I have to believe it difficult. I wish you happiness! N."

All her letters and photographs were included in the letter. Immediately after sending the letter, N. felt great relief. And when numerous attempts by the “friend” began to restore the relationship, the calm was already complete. I think there is no point in conducting a detailed analysis of the depreciation movements of this letter. There is not a single reproach here.

I would like to draw your attention to one psychological subtlety contained in the phrase: “Try not to meet with me even on business.” Man is made in an amazing way. He always wants what is not available to him. The forbidden fruit is always sweet. And vice versa, a person tries to refuse what is imposed on him. As soon as God forbade Adam and Eve to pick apples from the tree, they ended up near it.

As soon as N. asked his friend not to meet with him, she immediately began to strive to improve the relationship. When he tried to make a date, then nothing worked for him. In communication, prohibitions have the opposite effect. If you want to achieve something from a person, forbid him to do it. As I gained experience in writing depreciation scenarios, I became convinced that it is better to write a letter in the initial stages of preparation. Beginners are in great emotional agitation and often, after one or two depreciation moves, switch to the old, conflictual style of communication. In addition, the partner can read the letter several times. Each time he will be in a different psychological state. Sooner or later the letter will produce the necessary psychological effect. One girl wrote a depreciation letter. I was very worried that there was no answer. He came six months later, but what a response it was!

Preventative cushioning

The definition is given in the title itself. It can be used in industrial and family relationships, in cases where the conflict follows the same stereotype, when threats and reproaches take the same form and the partner’s command is known in advance.

We find a model of preventive depreciation in “The Adventures of the Good Soldier Schweik.” One of the heroes of the book, Second Lieutenant Dub, when talking with soldiers, usually said: “Do you know me? No, you don’t know me! You know me from the good side, but you will also recognize me from the bad side. I will bring you to tears.” One day Schweik encountered Second Lieutenant Dub. - Why are you hanging around here? - he asked Schweik. “Do you know me?” - I dare say, I wouldn’t want to get to know you on the bad side. Second Lieutenant Dub was speechless with insolence, and Schweik calmly continued: “I dare to report, I want to know you only on the good side, so that you don’t bring me to tears, as you deigned to promise last time.” Second Lieutenant Dub only had enough courage to yell: “Get lost, you rascal, we’ll talk to you later!”

In such cases, Carnegie suggests: “Say everything about yourself that your accuser is going to do, and you will take the wind out of his sails.” Or, as the proverb says: “The sword does not cut off a guilty head.” Let me give you a few examples of preventative depreciation.

Preventive cushioning in family life

Deputy the chief designer of one of the large factories, a man aged 38, married, with children, and also leading an active social life, spoke about his problem in our classes. Due to his frequent late arrivals home, conflicts often arose with his wife, with whom, in principle, he had a good relationship. The reproaches had the following content: “When will this end! I don’t know whether I have a husband or not! Whether the children have a father or not! Just think how irreplaceable! You expose yourself, so they burden you!” and so on. Listen to his story about an episode that happened in his family after a month of training at CROSS.

One day, after coming home late again, I saw in the menacing silence of my wife a “psychological poker” and prepared for battle. The dialogue began with a shout:

Why were you late today?
Instead of making excuses, I said:
- Darling, I am surprised at your patience. If you behaved the way I behave, I would not have been able to stand it a long time ago. After all, look at what happens: the day before yesterday I came late, yesterday I came late, today I promised to come early - as luck would have it, it’s late again.

Wife (angrily):
- Drop your psychological tricks! (She knew about my activities.)

Me (guilty):
- Yes, what does psychology have to do with it? You have a husband and at the same time practically do not have one. Children don't see their father. I could have come earlier.

Wife (not so menacingly, but still dissatisfied):
- Okay, come on in.

I silently undress, wash my hands and go into the room, sit down and start reading something. At this time, the wife is just finishing frying the pies. I was hungry, it smelled very tasty, but I didn’t go to the kitchen.

The wife entered the room and asked with some tension:

Why don't you go eat? Look, they've already fed you somewhere!

Me (guilty):
- No, I'm very hungry, but I don't deserve it.
Wife (somewhat softer):
- Okay, go eat.
I only ate one pie and continue to sit.

Wife (wary):
- What, the pies are not tasty?
Me (still guilty):
- No, the pies are very tasty, but I don’t deserve them.

Wife (very softly, even affectionately):
- OK. Eat as much as you want.

The conversation continued in this tone for about a minute. The conflict was over. Previously, a disagreement could last for several days.

Preventive amortization in work relationships

Amazingly simple, but almost no one uses it! You need to come to the boss and say something like this: “I came so that you could scold me. Do you know what I did...”

Here are three examples.
D. was a qualified turner, but he was sick quite often and thereby caused the displeasure of his boss, who, in a private conversation, suggested that he resign. After successful training in psychological warfare techniques, he felt good and confident. And this is what he came up with. Having worked well for two weeks, I wrote a letter of resignation and, without setting a date, came to see my boss and said the following: “I understand that I was a burden at work, but now I’m already healthy.” So that you have no doubts about this, I have brought you a letter of resignation of my own free will without a date. I place myself completely at your disposal. As soon as I let you down again, set a date and fire me. The boss looked at D. with surprise and undisguised interest. He refused to take the application. Since then, the relationship has become simply warm, and D. has gained self-confidence.

And here is an example of preventive (proactive) depreciation in production.

E., a safety engineer, became interested in psychology while studying psychological aikido, and decided to retrain in the field of engineering psychology. To do this, she had to enroll in a 3-year paid course in the psychological department of the university, and receive funds to pay for training at work. Here's how she managed to do it. E. made an appointment with the director and was the last to enter. He looked tense and tired. E. began like this:

I am the last one, and I have not a request for you, but a proposal. The director relaxed and began to look at E. calmer and even with some interest.

E. continued:
- It should bring great benefits to production, but first it will be necessary to spend huge amounts of money. The director's face became tense again.

If you cannot accept this offer, there will be no complaints, and forgive me in advance for my insolence.

The tension immediately subsided, and he calmly and even somewhat complacently asked E. to continue. When she outlined the essence of the matter, he asked how much it would cost. E. named the amount 2000 rubles, he laughed cheerfully (the company was “handling” millions) and gave his consent: - Well, these are little things!

And the last example of preventive depreciation.

D., who was trained by us, believes that the knowledge and skills he acquired in pop-psychological aikido classes, if they did not save his life, then at least helped to maintain his health and made his life in the army not so painful. He ended up serving in a construction detachment. Here is one of the cases that helped D. gain authority.

Our section dined in the civilian canteen using special coupons. She didn't work that day. The squad commander tried to organize food with coupons in another canteen, but he was unable to do this, as he demanded and shouted. Then I offered my help. I went to the head of the canteen and addressed her with the words:

I have a huge request to ask of you. If you refuse, I will not be offended towards you, because I understand that this is very difficult. I outlined the essence of the matter and asked her to think about how to feed 12 soldiers who were old enough to be her sons. And she came up with an idea! We were fed, and then we handed in the coupons to our canteen and received money.

Depreciation is agreement with all the opponent's statements.

There are three types of depreciation: direct, delayed and preventive.

Basic principles of depreciation:
- Take compliments calmly.
- If the offer suits you, agree the first time.

Don't offer your services. Help when you've done your work.

Offer cooperation only once.
- Don’t wait for people to criticize you, criticize yourself.