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Communist Vulnerabilities to the Use of Music in Psychological Warfare

l. The original research requirement for this study came from the 
Operations and Training Branch, Propaganda Div isicn, Office of the Chief 
Of Psychological Warfare. This requirement called for lists Of musical 
selections appropriate for use in propaganda broadcasts by Army opera- 
t ional units to certain spe 2ified target audiences. For this reason, initial 
attention in the research w.'S concentrated upon problems of an operaticr;al 
nature. As the project progressed, however. it acquired thc broader aspect 
of vulnerability research —the vulnera:oilitics oi the Soviet Union and selected 
European Communist countries to the use •of music in psychological warfare. 
Inquiry was directed toward: 
(a) Finding the major areas of vulner ability to the use of music 
in psychological warfare, through a study of the recent music practices Of 
target countries. 
(b) Selecting compositions gudged most appropriate for exploiting 
these vulnerabilities. 
2. The operational Objectives Of the research were: 
(a) To facilitate procurement of music recordings hy the Depart- 
ment of the Army for use in psychological warfare programs. 
(b) To guide Army psychological warfare operators in exploiting 
the propaganda possibilities in music broadcasts to audiences in the Soviet 
Union, Czechos!ovakia, Hungary, Poland, Rumania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, 
and Albania. 
3. It was considered appropriate to these objectives to present the 
research findinge. in three parts: 
(a) A texkoal report wnich analyzes the music situation in the tar- 
get countries, estimates the vu:nerabi 11ties resulting from that situation 
and from the nature of music as a medium Of communication, and suggests 
ways in which those vulnerabiiilies may be exploited through psychological 
warfare. This report may be found on pages 3-18 of this volume. A brief 
discussion of the ways in whxcn music performers recently escaped from 
Communist countries may be used as additional sources of information for 
psychological war fare units and as a reservoir of talent for broadcasts 
employing music is presented in Appendix A, pages 21-25 of this volume. 
(b) A brief handbook-type summary for each target country studied, 
containing a calendar of Its natlonaj holidays and festivals, an analysis of 
its recent musical diet. a list Of n s important music performers and en- 
sembles, and a selected list of sources where further music information 
pcrtiacnt to the target country can be obtained. These summaries are 
attached as Appendices B through of the textual report, and may be found 
on pages 27-84 of thicz volume.