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Information Warfare in World War I
- The Journal of Military History
- Society for Military History
- Volume 73, Number 3, July 2009
- pp. 845-867
- 10.1353/jmh.0.0324
- Article
- Additional Information
Traditional narratives of World War I generally overlook a misunderstood but important part of the conflict: information warfare. Both Great Britain and Germany understood the significance of information as a force multiplier and as a valuable financial and diplomatic tool in the larger geostrategic environment. Britain's systematic wartime destruction of Germany's prewar network occurred on a much larger level than historians have recognized. Germany's simultaneous but hidden campaign against Allied communications has escaped historical notice. Greater understanding of this missing element, both in World War I and beyond, will deepen our understanding of the larger economic, political, intelligence, and military dimensions of modern conflict.