The Importance of Information-Psychological Operations in the Siege and Defense of a Fortress According to Al-Harawi's Treatise: Salah ad-Din and the Fortress of Masyaf

Abstract

The discussion of so-called “hybrid warfare” is gaining increasing popularity in today’s scientific literature. This term became widely known among interested circles after a report by Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, at the Academy of Military Sciences in January 2013, which was later published in a scientific journal and was called the “Gerasimov Doctrine” (we will not discuss the authenticity and originality of the concepts in this article). Soon after the article was published, the world began to discuss the fact that conducting military campaigns does not only involve military force, but to achieve the ultimate goal, it is necessary to take multifaceted action using non-military elements. Although “hybrid war” in its conceptual form became known to a wide audience only after the publication of V. Gerasimov’s article, historical examples demonstrate that this tactic has been employed in nearly all military conflicts throughout history. The description of the elements of the so-called “hybrid warfare” is found in historical works, where the authors speak about the need to diversify the impact on the enemy. This article is devoted to the “hybrid” tactics discussed by the medieval Arab author Al-Harawi, in particular, the importance of information-psychological operations in the siege of fortresses. In the article, we will try to analyze one specific example of the mentioned tactic – Salah ad-Din’s siege of the fortress of Masyaf.