An invasion is an offensive military operation in which a sizable number of combatants of one geopolitical entity forcefully enter territory controlled by another such entity. This may be done for a variety of strategic reasons, including, but not limited to: retaliation for real or perceived aggression, liberation of territory from previous colonization, gaining concessions or access to natural resources, forcing the partition of a country, effecting a change in the ruling government, and/or expanding one’s sphere of influence.
Invasion can take place by land, sea or air. Airborne invasions are usually used to pave the way for a ground- or sea-based invasion by taking key points of defense deep behind enemy lines such as bridges and crossroads, or to provide covert support for an invasion. However, an entirely air-based invasion has never succeeded. The most recent large-scale military invasion occurred during World War II, when Germany’s Operation Barbarossa blitzkrieged into Russia. At its height, the resulting front stretched over a distance of nearly 2,000 miles from Leningrad all the way to the Crimea and beyond. Throughout the war, the German invasion advanced with great ease until the harsh Russian winter and fierce Soviet resistance brought it to a standstill at Stalingrad.
Successfully invading a country by land requires a huge military force to move troops and supplies before the fight even begins. In addition, the topography of some countries makes an invasion by land particularly challenging. Forests, swamps and mountains are all common obstacles for invaders to overcome.
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