Editors: Ilkin Mehrabov & Howard Nothhaft
Department of Communication, Lund University (Sweden)
Deadline for abstracts: April 30, 2026
You can download the following call as a PDF file.
We invite submissions for an edited volume exploring historical examples of global disinformation and psychological operations (PSYOPS) campaigns. This collection seeks to analyze the historical evolution, available methods, and impact (expected or actual) of state-sponsored and non-state actor efforts to manipulate information on an international scale. We are particularly interested in papers that move beyond traditional Cold War narratives to explore earlier instances and diverse geographical contexts. The aim is to provide a comprehensive historical framework for understanding contemporary information warfare. Authors may even revisit well-researched campaigns if contributions arrive at new conceptualizations.
This volume is intended for scholars, students (at undergraduate and graduate levels), and practitioners, especially in the fields of history, political science, media and communication studies, security studies, and international relations. It will also be of interest to policymakers and analysts working on contemporary disinformation, hybrid threats, and strategic communication – as well as to wider audiences intrigued by these pressing topics.
Introduction and Rationale
Algorithm-driven disinformation, fake news, and psychological operations (PSYOPs) are often seen as defining features of the 21st-century digital information environments. However, the orchestration of deceptive communication and the strategic influence of foreign and, at times, domestic populations’ perceptions have deep historical precedents. The manipulation of information has been a central feature of political, military, and cultural struggles throughout the past, transcending national boundaries and pre-dating the establishment of nation-states (Taylor, 2003) – and from ancient rumor dissemination strategies and medieval religious propaganda to early modern pamphleteering and Cold War-era covert operations, disinformation has always been a persistent feature of international relations and a crucial tool in complex psychological campaigns (O’Shaughnessy, 2020; Pratkanis, 2020; Snow et al., 2025).
While contemporary research on disinformation has concentrated primarily on digital platforms, algorithmic manipulation, and social media ecosystems, the historical roots of these practices, e.g., continuities, ruptures, and precedents, remain underexplored and undertheorized (to a certain extent). The field too often lacks systematic engagement with historical case studies that could enrich theoretical models of information influence and strategic communication in general, and psychological warfare in particular – as well as shed light on the enduring role of narrative control, deception, and psychological manipulation (Corner, 2007).
We seek to bridge this gap by bringing together comparative, global, and interdisciplinary examinations of historical disinformation campaigns and PSYOPs, situating them in their broader social, cultural, and geopolitical contexts (Fallis, 2015; Nothhaft et al., 2019; Pamment, 2020). The ambition is to bring together interdisciplinary perspectives – including, but not limited to, history, communication studies, political science, security studies, and cultural studies – on how disinformation and PSYOPs have been conducted across different eras and geopolitical contexts.
Hence, the overall guiding question for the volume is: How have disinformation and psychological operations functioned across different historical periods, regions, and political systems, and what lessons do they provide for understanding today’s information environment?
Problematization, Scope, and Objectives
This project describes disinformation as all forms of intentionally inaccurate, false, or misleading information designed and promoted to cause public harm or generate profit – in short, “munitions in campaigns of information warfare, non-lethal weapons intended to subdue adversaries rather than reason with them” (Freelon & Wells, 2020, p. 146). On the other hand, psychological operations are defined as organized campaigns designed to affect perceptions, emotions, attitudes, minds and behavior of target audiences to achieve specific objectives in ways favorable to the initiator – winning “military gains without military force” (Linebarger, 1954, p. 37). As already mentioned, despite the wide prevalence of such practices, systematic historical analysis of disinformation remains fragmented (including, surprisingly enough, how technological advancements have shaped their scale and reach). By examining a wide array of case studies across time and space, this book aims to:
• Contextualize contemporary disinformation debates within long-term historical trajectories.
• Uncover continuities and ruptures in the evolution of psychological operations.
• Offer interdisciplinary approaches to studying propaganda, disinformation, and influence campaigns.
• Provide comparative perspectives that can inform both theory and practice of strategic communication and information warfare.
• Investigate the ethical and legal dimensions of the use of psychological warfare.
• Scrutinize how societal, cultural, and technological conditions shaped the effectiveness and reception of the campaigns
Possible Topics and Key Themes
We welcome both empirical and theoretical contributions/submissions that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:
1) Practices of Antiquity and Pre-Modern Period: Studies on the use of deceptive communication in ancient empires (e.g., Rome, Persia) or during early modern conflicts (e.g., the Thirty Years’ War) – e.g., uses of rumor and gossip, rituals, practices of mythmaking, and religious and symbolic communication in empire-building, warfare, and the maintenance of power.
2) Disinformation Campaigns within Colonial and Imperial Contexts: Analysis of propaganda and psychological operations used by colonial powers to maintain control and justify expansion – i.e., disinformation as a tool of control and cultural domination.
3) The World Wars: Case studies of German, British, Russian/Soviet, or American PSYOPS during World War I and II, including leaflet drops, radio broadcasts, and rumor campaigns – i.e., innovations in covert influence, and state or black/gray propaganda techniques.
4) The Cold War Era: Re-evaluations of Cold War disinformation campaigns and covert communication strategies (e.g., Project Mockingbird in the USA or the Soviet active measures), focusing on the global reach and impact of regional proxy campaigns as well – i.e., the ‘battle for hearts and minds’ in the Global South and beyond.
5) Regional Case Studies: Case-specific examinations of local disinformation campaigns in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and/or the Middle East.
1) Non-State Actors: Historical examples of non-state groups (e.g., anti-colonial movements, terrorist organizations) using centralized propaganda or decentralized grassroots disinformation to resist or achieve their goals.
2) The Role of Individuals: The lives and work of key figures in the history of psychological operations and propaganda.
1) Technological Innovations: The impact of new communication technologies (e.g., telegraph, radio, cinema, television, early Internet) on the dissemination and effectiveness of disinformation.
2) Disinformation in Economic and Social Spheres: Historical case studies of disinformation used for commercial gain or to influence social and cultural norms.
3) Counter-Disinformation Efforts: Historical analysis of efforts to counter propaganda, including intelligence gathering, public diplomacy, and the establishment of international norms.
1) Comparative Perspectives: Cross-temporal analyses of techniques, technologies, and audiences – e.g., exploring how techniques evolved, how technological innovation shaped their effectiveness, and how audiences interpreted, resisted, or amplified disinformation over time.
2) Theoretical and Conceptual Contributions: Investigating how historical cases inform present-day understandings of information/cognitive warfare, hybrid threats, and strategic communication.
3) Methodological Approaches: Studying historical disinformation using various methodological instruments, e.g., archival sources, oral history, discourse analysis of textual and audio-visual material, or cultural history research.
Submission Guidelines
We invite scholars from diverse disciplinary and methodological backgrounds to submit contributions that are original, empirically grounded, and theoretically innovative. Both case studies and comparative/theoretical contributions are welcome. All submissions must be original and not under consideration elsewhere, following APA 7th edition style guidelines.
Chapter proposal of 500–700 words, clearly outlining the intended contribution, methodology, and sources, along with a brief author biography (max. 200 words), should be submitted to Ilkin Mehrabov (ilkin.mehrabov@iko.lu.se) and Howard Nothhaft (howard.nothhaft@iko.lu.se) by April 30, 2026. Authors of accepted abstracts will be notified by June 30, 2026, with full manuscript submissions of 7,000–10,000 words (including abstract, footnotes, and references) due by December 31, 2026.
References
Corner, J. (2007). Mediated politics, promotional culture and the idea of ‘propaganda’. Media, Culture & Society, 29(4), 669–677. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443707078428
Fallis, D. (2015). What is disinformation? Library Trends, 63(3), 401–426. https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2015.0014
Freelon, D., & Wells, C. (2020). Disinformation as political communication. Political Communication, 37(2), 145–156. https://doi.org/10.1080/10584609.2020.1723755
Linebarger, P. M. A. (1954). Psychological warfare (2nd ed.). Duell, Sloan and Pearce.
Nothhaft, H., Pamment, J., Agardh-Twetman, H., & Fjällhed, A. (2019). Information influence in Western democracies: a model of systemic vulnerabilities. In Bjola, C. & Pamment, J. (Eds.). Countering online propaganda and extremism: The dark side of digital diplomacy (28–43). Routledge.
O’Shaughnessy, N. (2020). From disinformation to fake news: Forwards into the past. In Baines, P., O’Shaughnessy, N.J. & Snow, N. (Eds.). The SAGE handbook of propaganda (pp. 55–70). SAGE Publications.
Pamment, J. (2020, September). The EU’s role in fighting disinformation: Crafting a disinformation framework (Future Threats, Future Solutions Working Paper No. 2). Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegie-production-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/static/files/Pamment_-_Crafting_Disinformation_1.pdf
Pratkanis, A. (2020). Tactics of social influence for use in international conflicts. In Snow, N. & Cull, N.J. (Eds.). Routledge handbook of public diplomacy (2nd ed., pp. 147–154). Routledge.
Snow, N., Jowett, G. & O’Donnell, V. (2025). Propaganda & persuasion (8th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Taylor, P. M. (2003). Munitions of the mind: A history of propaganda from the ancient world to the present era (3rd ed.). Manchester University Press.