Man in the Iron Mask - First Example of Disinformation?

I love these old mysteries and stumbled upon this tale and it's theories again, and it occurred to me that it's more likely that the man in the mask was nobody whatsoever. I don't know if this theory has been suggested before, but was it simply disinformation? Many people were aware of this man, even at the time. Such information would seemingly have been highly guarded, and there was little to no information presence to the general public at the time. To this day nobody knows who he was and the general theories are outlandish at best. The fact that he needed to be imprisoned without identity and a mask to hide his features, suggests he was someone of great importance...yet history has revealed this was not the case. Was it simply a method of disinformation? The suggestion that someone so powerful and identifiable that the need to disguise his identity would lend a lot of strength to the influence of Louis' rule and public perception. IE If they can get THAT guy, what happens if someone thinks a commoner like ME steps out of line?

Is it possible this is the first high profile use of governmental disinformation?

Shhhh, I'll give you a hint.

It was Leonard Di Caprio

reply to post by Hopechest

Originally posted by Hopechest
Shhhh, I'll give you a hint.

It was Leonard Di Caprio

Who's that?

The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise attributed to Sun Tzu (also referred to as "Sun Wu" and "Sunzi"),[1] a high-ranking military general, strategist and tactician, and it was believed to have been compiled during the late Spring and Autumn period or early Warring States period.[2] The text is composed of 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare. It is commonly known to be the definitive work on military strategy and tactics of its time. It has been the most famous and influential of China's Seven Military Classics, and: "for the last two thousand years it remained the most important military treatise in Asia, where even the common people knew it by name."[3] It has had an influence on Eastern and Western military thinking, business tactics, legal strategy and beyond.

Disinformation is as old as war actually. This book is still part of military officer training.

reply to post by jimmiec


Well any opinion regarding whether the Man in the Mask was actually somebody or simply a nobody prop for a disinformation tactic?

I never said disinformation didn't exist before this, I just said this is one of those high profile cases that has never been solved...possibly because nobody looked at it in this way. Additionally, this doesn't fit Art of War. It is more Machiavellian in nature.

reply to post by czerro


This is one of my favorite books..and that is a profound theory! Dumas was a historical fiction writer and looked through journals and public records for his stories. I think you may be correct in assuming that the Man in the Mask was an effigy, a folk tale to instill fear in anybody who didn't want to fall in line.

Excellent premise and I hope someone more qualified than I can help you develop your theory

Originally posted by Hopechest
Shhhh, I'll give you a hint.

It was Leonard Di Caprio

Please try to do better with your first day on ATS. We have enough one-line trolls.

reply to post by czerro


No opinion on the "man in the iron mask" , Disinformation however is a huge part of war and one could assume always has been.

I could google "the man in the iron mask" but could only give an opinion based on..........disinformation!

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


Thanks for the input. I do think the theory requires that he was, in fact, a real man. That he was paraded around in a sack for public performance, down public thoroughfares, with a massive security presence abusing the crowd and telling everyone to move along. That he was nobody, just some poor degenerate, or minor thief.

Effigy is very fitting...but I think there WAS a man behind that mask, and he did serve the imprisonment described, or else there wouldn't be as consistent information about him. I simply think he existed, but he wasn't anybody but a prop for political maneuvering.

It's not hard to vanish people in our political age (Bin Laden's awkward burial at sea). The idea that people were aware of this guy back then sorta suggests a heavy handed charade to me.

Disinformation I do not know. I have heard that it was either King Louis XIV brother or twin. Hence the preferential treatment and the mask.

To resurrect this...

I don't think you are all considering how well known The Man in the Mask was to the public at the time. It's absolutely ludicrous. The WORST kept secret. Except, if you consider it in the light of what I'm suggesting, it wasn't intended to be a secret at all...

There are many accounts of this man being seen.

WHY?!

Why would he ever be seen?!

Why is his face concealed?!

How are there so many accounts of this man?!

It's all very simple. Any degenerate imprisoned was taken on a stroll through the city/district with a mask on his head while a farce that possibly the constabulary was not aware they were partaking in. There were likely MANY 'Man in Masks'.

I don't think you all appreciate how difficult it is for information to move through the public at the time. The populace was AWARE of this man in every corner of Louis' rule. There are many accounts of SEEING him. It's preposterously impossible, unless he is intended to be seen and there are many 'man in masks' purporting to be the same man in the township he is being paraded in.

It's disinformation. There were infact MANY "Man in Masks", and they were all nobodies.