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Contemporary national security challenges demand the continued development of options to best understand and address irregular threats. Unconventional Warfare (UW), traditionally a Special Operations Forces core activity, has served U.S. strategic interests in a variety of operational environments. Throughout the Cold War, the Soviet active measures campaign against the U.S. paralleled the U.S. doctrinal concept of UW in many ways, and provides a non-U.S.-centric case study in understanding a highly complex, long-term campaign approach to influence and subversion. This thesis presents a comparative analysis between active measures and the current U.S. doctrinal framework of UW in order to develop a better common understanding of an irregular strategy increasingly evident in the contemporary operational environment on the part of both state and non-state adversaries. This thesis also develops and presents an amended definition for the term active measures, terminology for assessing UW-like operations from a non-U.S.-centric perspective, and provides recommendations for further research and consideration.

CONTENTS * CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION * Purpose of Study * Research Question * Assumptions * Limitations * Scope and Delimitations * Significance of this Study * CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW * Methodology * Subject Matter Experts * Professional Researchers * Participants * Official Records * U.S. Doctrine * Gaps in the Record * Significance of Thesis in Relation to Existing Literature * CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY * The Evolution of Soviet Active Measures * Reasoning for Time Period Selected: 1959-1989 * Army UW Doctrine as a Framework for Comparative Analysis? * Defining Active Measures * Existing Definitions of Active Measures * Proposed Definition of Active Measures * Strengths and Weaknesses of Methodology * CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS * UW Foundation * UW Requirements * Ends, Ways, and Means of UW * Ends, Ways, and Means of Soviet Active Measures * Ends * Ways * Classic Active Measures * Press Placements * Forgeries * Disinformation * Non-ruling Communist Parties * International and Local Front Organizations * Friendship Societies * Manipulation of Mass Organizations and Non-Communist Political Parties * Clandestine Radio Stations * Military Operations * Political Influence Operations * Agents of Influence * Use of Academicians * Use of the Media * Phasing and Timing * Demoralization (15-20 years) * Destabilization (2-5 years) * Crisis (up to six weeks) * Normalization (indefinite) * Means * Use of a Third Party Sponsor * Impact and effectiveness * CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS * Conclusion * Recommendations for Future Research * Suggested Topics for Further Research * Author's Final Commentary * GLOSSARY