An
invasion is a
military offensive in which large parts of
combatants of one
geopolitical entity aggressively enter
territory controlled by another such entity, generally with the objective of either conquering, liberating or re-establishing control or authority over a territory, forcing the partition of a country, altering the established
government or gaining concessions from said government, or a combination thereof. An invasion can be the cause of a
war, be a part of a larger strategy to end a war, or it can constitute an entire war in itself. Due to the large scale of the operations associated with invasions, they are usually
strategic in planning and execution.