Yuri Bezmenov's Theory of "Active Measures"
Yuri Bezmenov, a former KGB agent who defected to the West in 1970, is known for his detailed descriptions of Soviet "Active Measures." These are covert operations designed to influence foreign governments, manipulate public opinion, and destabilize societies. Here's an overview of Bezmenov's outline of the "Active Measures" process:
Overview of Active Measures
Definition: "Active Measures" (or "aktivnye meropriyatiya" in Russian) refers to a broad range of covert and overt actions, including disinformation campaigns, propaganda, support for insurgent movements, and even assassinations, aimed at achieving political, economic, or military objectives without overt conflict.
Bezmenov's Four Stages of Ideological Subversion
According to Bezmenov, the process of subverting a country through psychological and ideological means involves four main stages:
I) Demoralization 15-20 years
Objective: To change the perception of reality in the target population, particularly among the youth, through education, media, and cultural influence.
Methods: Infiltration of educational systems, media manipulation, promoting ideologies contrary to the host country's values, and creating a generation that questions or opposes traditional structures and morals. Bezmenov believed this stage was largely complete in the United States by the time of his interviews in the 1980s.
II) Destabilization 2-5 years
Objective: To destabilize the internal structures of the target nation, focusing on its economy, foreign relations, and defense systems.
Methods: Encouraging social unrest, economic crises, and political instability. This involves pushing for policies that undermine stability, like excessive spending or weakening defense capabilities, often through agents of influence.
III) Crisis up to 6 weeks
Objective: To bring about a situation where a violent change in power structure is possible.
Methods: This stage might involve coups, civil unrest, or other forms of rapid destabilization leading to a violent shift in power. Bezmenov used examples from countries like Nicaragua and Afghanistan to illustrate this phase.
IV) Normalization indefinite
Objective: To establish the new power structure as normal and accepted, often under the guise of "stabilization" or "return to normalcy."
Methods: After a crisis, the new regime consolidates power, often using propaganda to present itself as the solution to previous problems. The population might see this as a return to peace or order, but it's under a new ideological framework.
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