Winning hearts and minds
Winning hearts and minds is a concept occasionally expressed in the resolution of war, insurgency, and other conflicts, in which one side seeks to prevail not by the use of superior force, but by making emotional or intellectual appeals to sway supporters of the other side.
The use of the term "hearts and minds" to reference a method of bringing a subjugated population on side, was first used by French general and colonial administrator Hubert Lyautey as part of his strategy to counter the Black Flags rebellion during the Tonkin campaign in 1895.[1] The term has also been attributed to Gerald Templer's strategy during the Malayan Emergency.[2]
The efficacy of "hearts and minds" as a counterinsurgency strategy has been debated.[3]
Usage[edit]
United Kingdom[edit]
The term was used during the Malayan Emergency by the British who employed practices to keep the Malayans' trust and reduce a tendency to side with the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA), in this case, by giving medical and food aid to the Malays and indigenous tribes.[4][5] Gerald Templer stated shortly after his arrival in Malaya that: