Dezinformatsia: The Strategy of Soviet Disinformation

Published in 1984 and still foundational, Shultz and Godson's study of Soviet active measures remains the most systematic academic treatment of the doctrine and practice of dezinformatsia — the Russian term for the systematic use of disinformation as an instrument of state strategy. Drawing on declassified intelligence assessments, defector testimony, and documented case studies, the authors map the full architecture of Soviet active measures: forgeries, front organisations, agents of influence, media manipulation, and the operational integration of disinformation with intelligence collection and covert action.

The book's relevance to contemporary practitioners is direct and substantial. The techniques documented here — the use of forgeries to discredit adversaries, the cultivation of unwitting assets in media and academia, the creation of plausible deniability through front organisations — are the direct ancestors of the digital influence operations that have defined the current threat landscape. Understanding where these techniques came from, how they were developed, and what operational logic underlies them is essential for anyone working in counter-disinformation or threat assessment. Thomas Rid's Active Measures builds on this foundation; Shultz and Godson laid it.