Psychological Effects of U.S. Air Operations in Four Wars, 1941-1991
Lessons for U.S. Commanders
The psychological effects of air operations can significantly shorten wars and reduce their costs, particularly in American lives. In some conflicts, the psychological effects of air operations may exceed the physical effects in importance. This report examines ways to maximize the psychological impact of U.S. air power in future conflicts. Drawing upon POW interrogations and other data from the Persian Gulf, Vietnam, and Korean wars and World War II, the author assesses the psychological effects of past U.S. air attacks against both enemy strategic targets and deployed ground forces. The author identifies the conditions that have consistently produced a catastrophic disintegration in enemy resistance and large-scale enemy surrenders and suggests how U.S. commanders might design and conduct future military operations to exploit the psychological potential of air power more fully.
- Format:
- Paperback, 258 Pages
- Year:
- 1996
- List Price:
- $30.00
- Price:
- $24.00 Special 20% Web Discount
- Full Document (pdf format) (File size 6.4 MB)
- Summary Only (pdf format) (File size 0.6 MB)
Use Adobe Acrobat Reader version 7.0 or higher for the best experience.
Document Details
- Copyright: RAND Corporation
- Availability: Available
- Format: Paperback
- Pages: 258
- List Price: $30.00
- Price: $24.00
- ISBN/EAN: 0-8330-2336-5
- Document Number: MR-576-AF
- Year: 1996
- Series: Monograph Reports
Contents
Chapter One
The Use of Strategic Air Attacks to Achieve Psychological Objectives
Chapter Two
World War II, 1941-1945
Chapter Three
Korea, 1950-1953
Chapter Four
Vietnam, 1965-1972
Chapter Five
Persian Gulf, 1991
Chapter Six
Lessons for U.S. Commanders
Chapter Seven
How Air Operations Can Influence Morale and Battlefield Behavior
Chapter Eight
Korea
Chapter Nine
Vietnam
Chapter Ten
The Persian Gulf
Chapter Eleven
Summary of the Korean, Vietnam, and Gulf Experiences
Chapter Twelve
Lessons for U.S. Commanders
This report is part of the RAND Corporation monograph report series. The monograph/report was a product of the RAND Corporation from 1993 to 2003. RAND monograph/reports presented major research findings that addressed the challenges facing the public and private sectors. They included executive summaries, technical documentation, and synthesis pieces.
Permission is given to duplicate this electronic document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. Copies may not be duplicated for commercial purposes. Unauthorized posting of RAND PDFs to a non-RAND Web site is prohibited. RAND PDFs are protected under copyright law. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit the RAND Permissions page.
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.
RAND® is a registered trademark. Copyright © 1994-2012 RAND Corporation.