Propaganda as a Weapon – Deploying the Propaganda Shells of the World Wars

Abstract

Throughout wars, alongside armed combat, information warfare has always played a prominent
role. During World War II, propaganda reached its targets not only through the media but also via
rather unconventional means: among them were explosive devices used specifically for propaganda
purposes, which operated on the borderline between physical attack and psychological influence.
The aim of this study is to examine the political, social, and military objectives these propaganda
tools served, as well as their impact on wartime psychology, public opinion, and the morale of
enemy forces. Special attention is given to instances where propaganda was directly linked to
explosive devices, such as the 122 mm Soviet propaganda shells. This research is significant not
only from a historical perspective but may also contribute to our understanding of contemporary
information warfare. By analysing World War II propaganda, we can shed light on how information
came to be used as a weapon and the forms it takes in modern conflicts. My choice of topic stems
from the belief that, alongside conventional armed combat, the diverse tools of psychological
warfare receive disproportionately less attention, primarily because their effects are less tangible
and harder to quantify than, for example, casualty rates.