The Differences Of Psychological Warfare Between China And America During The Korean War

After the Korean War broke out on June 25,1950,China and the United States,in the process of carrying out psychological warfare,constantly improved the organization and military facilities,strengthened the cooperation between the government and the army,and carried out a comprehensive propaganda offensive through various means such as broadcasting,leaflets,loudspeakers and other propaganda carriers.From the whole process of psychological warfare,the differences between the two sides are very obvious.In terms of organizational structure,China’s organizational structure of psychological warfare is a top-down vertical single management mode,while the United States has set up psychological warfare institutions at both the national and military levels,showing a complex and diversified structural characteristics.In terms of strategic psychological warfare,the propaganda content of China and the United States in different stages of strategic psychological warfare is different,and there are obvious differences between their own image and that of their opponents,as well as obvious differences in strategic propaganda means.The propaganda content of strategic psychological warfare between China and the United States varies at different stages.In the early days of the Korean War,the Chinese government highlighted the necessity of resisting the United States and aiding North Korea in its propaganda to the general public.Thereafter,production and construction were accelerated and production and publicity activities were carried out to support the war.Propaganda against germ warfare was launched in 1952.The early propaganda of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army was mainly based on the "three eyes" propaganda of hatred,contempt and contempt,and the propaganda of patriotism,internationalism and revolutionary heroism throughout the period of resisting the US and aiding Korea.In addition,persistent operations,refuting enemy propaganda and anti-bacterial propaganda are carried out among combat troops.The international publicity through the use of prisoners of war made people around the world know the real situation of prisoners of war and the policy of the volunteer army to treat prisoners of war,and set up a good international image of the volunteer army.Shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War,the US strategic propaganda aimed at the South Korean military and civilians mainly urged the South Korean military and civilians to resist and boost their morale in the face of "aggression".When the U.S.military intervened in the Korean War,the theme of strategic propaganda emphasized the "justice" of the United Nations against the "aggression" of North Korea and China,the support of the world for the Republic of Korea,and the "ultimate victory" of the United Nations forces.From mid-1951 until the armistice Agreement was signed in 1953,propaganda focused on supporting the UN Command’s position in the armistice negotiations and on "psychologically undermining" the Communist position.The propaganda of the US army to stimulate soldiers’ morale mainly propagates "just war",inculcates "anti-communist" thoughts,strengthens ideology,renders "military strength" and "America’s own superiority" through armed forces information and education institutions,and comprehensively uses material and spiritual incentives to improve the morale of American soldiers.There are obvious differences between China and the United States in shaping their own image and that of their rivals.During the period of anti-US aid to Korea,China focused on the history and current events of the US aggression to expose the aggression of the US military,propagandizes that anti-US aid to Korea is to defend the country,and successfully built the image of self-defense.The purpose of Chinese troops going abroad to fight is to support the Korean people to resist aggression and defend China’s security,which has shaped the image of the Chinese army as a just division.In addition,from the perspective of the relationship between China and North Korea,the analysis of the two countries as close as lips and teeth,to save the neighbor is to save oneself,advocating the "internationalist spirit" and shaping the Chinese people volunteer military aid to the democratic regime of the Korean people’s image of benevolence.During the whole period of resisting America and aiding Korea,this series of propaganda and education activities shaped the aggressive image of "American imperialism" among the general army and civilians.However,the propaganda of the United States always pays attention to the perspective of the United Nations.In the name of the United Nations,the United States builds its "legitimate" authority for the "justice" of its intervention in the war,and uses the "justice" of the United Nations to build the image of China as an "aggressor".China and the United States have obvious differences in strategic propaganda means.The most remarkable feature of China’s domestic strategic propaganda means is that it always adheres to the mass line with the government,combines patriotic propaganda and education with mass patriotic movements,fully arouses the patriotic enthusiasm and production enthusiasm of the broad masses of the people,and effectively supports the domestic economic construction and the war against the United States and aid Korea.The strategic propaganda of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army actively mobilized the officers and men to participate in it,and adopted comprehensive measures in various aspects,forming a strong spiritual motivation in the army.The strategic propaganda means of the US military to the ROK military and civilians mainly rely on technical means to realize the diversification of propaganda themes and propaganda plans by using propaganda media such as radio and leaflets.The strategic propaganda within the US military carried out military information and education plans through the armed forces information and education institutions,and inculcated "anti-Communist" ideas through interactive discussions and other forms of propaganda media such as print,radio and film.In terms of tactical psychological warfare,both China and America pay attention to the diversification of propaganda themes and the differentiation of audience targets.However,on the whole,China’s tactical propaganda pays more attention to the propaganda of the nature of war and the justice of the regime.The tactical propaganda theme of the US army is mostly from the perspective of individual emotion,which cleverly combines individual emotion with the propaganda position of the United States.The psychological warfare between China and America in the Korean War reflects two different psychological warfare cultures.In the Cold War background,the United States and the Soviet Union and its Allies in the political economy,culture and ideology are in a motivating confrontation.In this psychological war,it reflects the differences in the culture of "war ethics" and the values of "collectivism" and "individualism".In terms of "national image",China has created "enemy state image" from various aspects such as "the domination of the monopolistic bourgeoisie of the United States","the aggression of the United States","the corrupt ruling class" and "the racial discrimination of the United States".However,the propaganda content of the US side mostly drives a wedge between the relations between China,the Soviet Union and the DPRK,between the leadership of the two countries and the military and people of the two countries,uses various images of "China,the Soviet Union and the DPRK" in negative propaganda,and takes "national images of China,the Soviet Union and the DPRK" as the opposite of the ideological symbol of "freedom and justice".In the context of the Cold War,these differences reflected the two different political systems,cultures and historical traditions of China and the United States.In terms of assessing the effectiveness of psychological warfare in the Korean War.China has evaluated the role of psychological warfare as a whole,and believes that "enemy work" has played a powerful role in coordinating the armed struggle on the front line,and "enemy work" has achieved great achievements,which is a qualitative evaluation criterion.The American assessment,which uses a variety of techniques and relies on important sources of information such as prisoners of war,suggests that perhaps only 10 percent of prisoners of war in the Korean War were affected by psychological warfare.The "intangible nature" of psychological warfare makes its assessment "complex and uncertain".It can be said that these two evaluation criteria for the effectiveness of psychological warfare are neither superior nor inferior.At present,a consensus of the entire academic circle on the effectiveness evaluation of psychological warfare is as follows: The evaluation of the effectiveness of psychological warfare is difficult to achieve a satisfactory result,because there are few immediate or obvious observable indicators of the ideas of attacking the enemy in war.Therefore,the evaluation of the effectiveness of psychological warfare cannot be simply generalized.