The Role of Science in Cold War Psychological Warfare

During the Cold War, both the United States and the Soviet Union sought to win the hearts and minds of people worldwide through propaganda and psychological warfare. Scientists were brought in to find technological solutions for countering Soviet jamming of radio towers and to develop strategies for changing world opinion. They explored methods such as dropping pamphlets from weather balloons and spreading propaganda through various means. While the success of these campaigns is hard to evaluate, they were believed to be most effective in appealing to non-communists on the left and those seeking a middle ground. Some of these psychological warfare techniques continue to influence modern-day public diplomacy efforts.