Cognitive Warfare in Historical Perspective: From Cold War Psychological Operations to AI-Driven Information Campaigns
Journal: Preprints.org
Year: 2025

Cognitive warfare is often presented as a radically new threat born of social media platforms and artificial intelligence. This article places cognitive warfare in historical perspective, arguing that it represents the latest phase in a longer genealogy of practices designed to shape perceptions, emotions and decision-making in peace and war. Drawing on conceptual history and a comparative analysis of selected cases—from Second World War propaganda and Cold War psychological operations to post-2