Editing Invasion (section)

==Methods==
[[File:German troops parade through Warsaw, Poland, 09-1939 - NARA - 559369.jpg|thumb|German troops march through Warsaw, Poland, in 1939 during the [[Invasion of Poland#German invasion|German invasion of Poland]].]]
There are many different methods by which an invasion can take place, each method having arguments both in their favour and against. These include invasion by land, sea, or air, or any combination of these methods.

===By land===
Invasion over land is the straightforward entry of [[armed forces]] into an area using existing land connections, usually crossing [[border]]s or otherwise defined zones, such as a [[demilitarized zone]], overwhelming defensive emplacements and structures. Although this tactic often results in a quick victory, troop movements are relatively slow and subject to disruption by terrain and weather. Furthermore, it is hard to conceal plans for this method of invasion, as most geopolitical entities take defensive positions in areas that are the most vulnerable to the methods mentioned above.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}

In modern warfare, invasion by land often takes place after, or sometimes during, attacks on the target by other means. Air strikes and [[cruise missile]]s launched from ships at sea are a common method of "softening" the target. Other, more subtle, preparations may involve secretly garnering popular support, [[assassination|assassinating]] potentially threatening political or military figures, and closing off supply lines where they cross into neighboring countries. In some cases, those other means of attack eliminate the need for ground assault; the 1945 atomic-bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ultimately made it unnecessary for the Allies to invade the Japanese home islands with infantry troops. In cases such as this, while some ground troops are still needed to occupy the conquered territory, they are allowed to enter under the terms of a [[treaty]] and as such are no longer invaders. As unmanned, long-range combat evolves, the instances of basic overland invasion become fewer; often the conventional fighting is effectively over before the infantry arrives in the role of peacekeepers (see "[[#Applications regarding non-state combatants|Applications regarding non-state combatants]]" in this article).{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}

===By sea===
[[File:US Navy 030113-N-2972R-114 A Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) Vehicle from Assault Craft Unit Four (ACU-4) transports Marine Assault Vehicles to Kearsarge.jpg|thumb|A [[Landing craft#Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC)|hovercraft]] carrying [[LAV 25|armored vehicles]] ashore during the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]]]]

Invasion by sea is the use of a body of water to facilitate the entry of armed forces into an area, often a landmass adjoining the body of water or an island. This is generally used either in conjunction with another method of invasion, and especially before the [[aviation history|invention of flight]], for cases in which there is no other method to enter the territory in question. Arguments in favor of this method usually consist of the ability to perform a surprise attack from sea, or that naval defenses of the area in question are inadequate to repel such an attack. However, the large amount of specialized equipment, such as [[amphibious vehicle]]s and the difficulty of establishing defenses—usually with a resulting high [[casualty (person)|casualty count]]—in exchange for a relatively small gain, are often used as arguments against such an invasion method. Underwater hazards and a lack of good cover are very common problems during invasions from the sea. At the [[Battle of Tarawa]], [[United States Marine Corps|Marine]] landing craft became hung up on a [[coral reef]] and were [[shell (projectile)|shelled]] from the beach. Other landers were sunk before they could reach the shore, and the [[tank]]s they were carrying were stranded in the water. Most of the few survivors of the first wave ended up pinned down on the beach.<ref>{{cite web | author=Ashton, Douglas F.| title=Tarawa: Testing Ground For The Amphibious Assault| year=1989 | url= http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/1989/ADF.htm| access-date=February 11, 2006}}</ref> The island was conquered but at a heavy cost, and the loss of life sparked mass protests from civilians in the United States.

===By air===
[[File:Waves of paratroops land in Holland.jpg|thumb|right|Thousands of [[paratrooper]]s descend during [[Operation Market Garden]] in September 1944.]]

Invasion by air is an invention of the 20th century and [[modern warfare]]. The idea involves sending military units into a territory by [[aircraft]]. The aircraft either land, allowing the military units to debark and attempt their objective, or the troops exit the aircraft while still in the air, using [[parachute]]s or similar devices to land in the territory being invaded. Many times air assaults have been used to pave the way for a ground- or sea-based invasion, by taking key positions deep behind enemy lines such as bridges and crossroads, but an entirely air-based invasion has never succeeded. Two immediate problems are resupply and reinforcement. A large airborne force cannot be adequately supplied without meeting up with ground forces; an airborne force too small simply places themselves into an immediate envelopment situation. Arguments in favor of this method generally relate to the ability to target specific areas that may not necessarily be easily accessible by land or sea, a greater chance of surprising the enemy and overwhelming defensive structures, and, in many cases, the need for a reduced number of forces due to the element of surprise. Arguments against this method typically involve capacity to perform such an invasion—such as the sheer number of planes that would be needed to carry a sufficient number of troops—and the need for a high level of [[espionage|intelligence]] in order for the invasion to be successful.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}

The closest examples to a true air invasion are the [[Battle of Crete]], [[Chindits#Operation Thursday|Operation Thursday]] (the [[Chindits]] second operation during the [[Burma Campaign]]) and [[Operation Market Garden]]. The latter was an assault on the German-occupied [[Netherlands]] conducted in September 1944. Nearly 35,000 men were dropped by parachute and [[military glider|glider]] into enemy territory in an attempt to capture bridges from the Germans and make way for the Allies' advance. However, even with such a massive force taking the Germans completely by surprise, the assault was a tactical failure and after 9 days of fighting the Allies managed only to escape back to their own lines, having sustained over 18,000 casualties.<ref>{{cite book | title = Hell's Highway: Chronicle of the 101st Airborne Division in the Holland Campaign, September–November 1944 | author = Koskimaki, George E. | year = 1989 | publisher = 101st Airborne Division Association | isbn = 1-877702-03-X}}</ref> In the 21st century, as vast improvements are made in anti-aircraft defenses, it seems that the air invasion is a strategy whose time may never come.

===Pacification===
[[File:PSYOPS3ap.jpg|thumb|right|U.S. forces distribute information leaflets on the streets of [[Kut|Kut, Iraq]] in May 2003.]]
Once political boundaries and military lines have been breached, [[peace|pacification]] of the region is the final, and arguably the most important, goal of the invading force. After the defeat of the regular military, or when one is lacking, continued opposition to an invasion often comes from civilian or paramilitary [[resistance movement]]s. Complete pacification of an occupied country can be difficult, and usually impossible, but popular support is vital to the success of any invasion.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}

Media [[propaganda]] such as leaflets, books, and radio broadcasts can be used to encourage resistance fighters to surrender and to dissuade others from joining their cause. Pacification, often referred to as "the winning of hearts and minds", reduces the desire for civilians to take up resistance. This may be accomplished through [[brainwashing|reeducation]], allowing conquered citizens to participate in their government, or, especially in impoverished or besieged areas, simply by providing food, water, and shelter. Sometimes displays of military might are used; invading forces may assemble and parade through the streets of conquered towns, attempting to demonstrate the futility of any further fighting. These displays may also include public [[capital punishment|executions]] of enemy soldiers, resistance fighters, and other conspirators. Particularly in antiquity, the death or imprisonment of a popular leader was sometimes enough to bring about a quick surrender. However, this has often had the unintended effect of creating [[martyr]]s around which popular resistance can rally. For example, [[Bobby Sands]], who died during a hunger strike in [[Maze (HM Prison)|Long Kesh prison]], became a symbol of the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]].<ref>{{cite web | author=Schuurman, J. | author2=De Jong, P.| title= The Legacy of Bobby Sands| year=2001 | url= http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/westerneurope/sands010727.html| accessdate=February 14, 2006}}</ref>