Military invasion is an event in which military forces from one geopolitical entity enter territory controlled by another such entity, with the intent of conquering the land or altering its government. This action is generally much larger than a tactical cross-border incursion or a raid and is more likely to trigger an overall war between the two entities.
Invasion is usually undertaken for a variety of reasons such as restoration of territory lost in the past; political or religious idealism; policies of economic advantage; pursuit of enemies; acquisition of natural resources, especially water and oil; preemption of a real or perceived attack on a major nation or region by another; or to quell destabilizing conflict between or within neighbors. Despite these motivations, invasions have a high cost and often have negative consequences.
The earliest military invasions were conducted by sea, and later by air. These operations required the invading force to have a strong navy or large merchant marine to transport the troops and to provide adequate protection for the ships carrying them. Invasion by air was invented in the twentieth century and involves either the aircraft landing, allowing the military units to disembark, or using parachutes to drop the troops into the target area.
A notable military invasion was the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944 – codenamed Operation Overlord – which was the largest amphibious invasion in history. The book Warriors for the Working Day by Peter Elstob chronicles the adventures of a tank crew as they move from the beaches of Normandy into Western Europe, brilliantly evoking the claustrophobia and heat of tank warfare.
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