Democracies need to re-learn the art of deception
Although countries continue to spy, propagandise and sabotage, military deception appears to be declining
FIVE HUNDRED dummies descended on the French coast on the night of June 5th 1944. The crack of gunfire sounded from each one, courtesy of a small pyrotechnic device. As they thumped to the ground, explosive charges mimicked paratroopers setting their parachutes ablaze. The hessian invaders were the vanguard of a phantom army, the most ambitious conjuring trick in military history.
This article appeared in the Christmas Specials section of the print edition under the headline “Bodyguard of lies”
Christmas Specials
December 19th 2020- Christmas newsletters are a form of slow social media
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