pynchon-l-digest V1 #751/Schwarzcommando

[kellner at ccwf.cc.utexas.edu]

Andrew Dinn wrote:

Subject: Black Propaganda

I have been reading a history of OSS just recently and noted that the
Morale Operations group (concerned with undermining enemy morale, that
is) used the term Black Propaganda for the false information they
distributed. Perhaps Pynchon took this term at face value and decided
to parody their operations with his own notion of `Black' propaganda,
the Schwarzkommando.

Is this Pynchon's parody or did the Nazis also have a group that engaged
in "black propaganda." And was there or was there not a historical basis
for the "Schwarzkommando."

I am just doing the final editing for a Routledge book of Herbert
Marcuse's writings for the US Govt when he worked for OWI and OSS and was
engaged in projects such as German morale, images of the enemy to present
to Germans (i.e. how to turn them against the Nazis) and other projects.

I don't recall any great role for OSS in GR; does anyone know what Pynch
knew or didn't know about history of OSS and US intelligence in WW2?

Douglas Kellner, Dept of Philosophy, Univ of Texas, Austin, TX 78712
kellner at ccwf.cc.utexas.edu  fax: 512 471-4806
Web sites: Postmodern theory= http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~kellner/pm/pm.html
Critical theory= http://www.uta.edu/english/dab/illuminations/