Military deception is an age old tactic. Since we harnessed fire and sharpened sticks, one group has always tried to find a method of deceiving the other to turn the tide of warfare in their favor. Types of deception can come under different categories. The “fog of war” (from the German Nebel des Krieges) is defined as the uncertainty in situational awareness. In short:
“The state of ignorance in which commanders frequently find themselves as regards the real strength and position, not only of their foes, but also of their friends.”
There is also information warfare, which can include spreading propaganda, disinformation, and undermining the enemy in an attempt to demoralize them.
One of the most famous works on warfare is, of course, Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, which no doubt rests on every general’s nightstand. The military general/philosopher also would have been a great fan of the Greeks, who used a Trojan Horse to sneak into the city of Troy. Several other types of tactics include: the “feigned retreat”, leading the enemy into an ambush; “fictional units”, which is basically making up forces; “smoke screen”, literally harnessing fog or smoke; and “strategic envelopment”, favored by Napoleon, where one small unit would distract enemy forces so the larger force could approach from the rear.
