Invasions That Shook the World: History’s Most Notorious Attacks

Fighting among humans has occurred almost since the dawn of man, although the sophistication of strategy and weapons has evolved. Organized wars are believed to have begun around 10,000 years ago (late Mesolithic/early Neolithic transition). A well-studied case from this time period is the Lake Turkana massacre. Thousands of years later, conflicts have only intensified. While all war is tragic, some invasions shook the world, becoming history's most notorious attacks.

Most often, invasions take place so that one country can try to claim another, as is the most recent case with Russia invading Ukraine. But they are also fought over religious differences, political and economic reasons, nationalism, and a host of other reasons. Many invasions are well known, like the Invasion of Normandy, but many others, while just as horrific, are not as noted.

To determine invasions that shook the world, history's most notorious attacks, 24/7 Tempo scoured the internet to find the most accurate sources. We used educational websites, including Britannica, the Eisenhower Presidential Library, and the Truman Library, to find some of the most noteworthy confrontations. (To learn about truly awful people, check out the 15 most hated people in world history.)

This post was updated on October 22, 2025 to clarify the beginning of organized war, countries involved in Invasion of Afghanistan, number of Allied soldiers in Invasion of Normandy, timeline of Kuwait, and the territories taken in the Six Day War.

• Year: 2022
• Invading Force: Russia
• Defending Force: Ukraine

Easily one of the most famous invasions in recent memory is the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, where Russia decided to launch a full-scale attack on Ukraine on February 24th. This was a major invasion and the largest on a European country since World War II. By June 2022, Russian forces had occupied about 20% of Ukraine's territory and taken tens of thousands of Ukrainian lives. The conflict is still ongoing.

• Year: 2001
• Invading Force: United States and Britain
• Defending Force: Afghanistan

After the September 11 attacks, the U.S. declared The War on Terror and invaded Afghanistan, which was ruled by the Taliban. This multinational invasion was a U.S.-led coalition, with the involvement of The U.K. and Afghan Northern Alliance. It began on October 7, 2001.

The idea of the invasion was to try to restore peace and dismantle the terrorist group al-Qaeda, which was led by Osama Bin Laden. The invasion was rather successful. In November, the capital city of Afghanistan was captured, and then in December, the Taliban regime collapsed.

• Year: 1944
• Invading Force: America, Canada, France, Britain
• Defending Force: Germany

D-Day is what most people think of first when they think about famous invasions. This was the invasion that began on the coast of Normandy, where German forces were stationed. A brief weather window after a storm misled German commanders and enabled the landings following a 24-hour delay. The Allies had a major force; nearly 160,000 soldiers landed on June 6, and more than 850,000 had landed by end of June. The numbers made all the difference, with the invasion a success.

Normandy was a turning point for World War II and the beginning of the end of Hitler's plans. In addition to weather issues, the Germans didn't believe the attack would happen, so they weren't properly prepared.

• Year: 1990
• Invading Force: Iraq
• Defending Force: Kuwait

In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait with a large force and made their way to Kuwait City, the capital. Compared to Iraq, Kuwait had a very small army, and they were quickly overtaken within two days. The main reason that Iraq invaded was for power and money because Kuwait had a lot of oil, so they were very rich.

With that money, leader Saddam Hussein would gain more power. This invasion is meaningful because it led to Operation Desert Storm, which included the army of several nations going in and trying to free Kuwait until there was a ceasefire in 1991.

• Year: 1961
• Invading Force: Cuban Democratic Revolutionary Front
• Defending Force: Fidel Castro's Cuban Revolution

Another one of the most famous invasions occurred in 1961. That's when the Cuban Democratic Revolutionary Front decided to fight back. They were a group of Cuban exiles that opposed the Cuban Revolution, which was headed up by Fidel Castro.

The invasion was financed by the United States, and it took place during the height of the Cold War, but it ultimately failed. With a lack of strategic initiative, air support was withheld, and the invasion failed within three days.

• Year: 1915
• Invading Force: United States
• Defending Force: Haiti

In 1915, there was unrest in Haiti after the President there decided to execute political prisoners. Because of this decision, he was lynched by an angry mob. To try to quell the unrest, the United States sent roughly 330 Marines in to take control.

The real reason they did so is because of American businesses who thought their business interests in Haiti would be compromised. The occupation went on until 1934 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt allowed a disengagement agreement.

• Year: 1910
• Invading Force: China
• Defending Force: Tibet

One of the famous invasions that often flies under the radar is the invasion of Tibet by the Chinese during the Qing dynasty. On February 12, the Chinese expedition took control of the Tibetan District of Lhasa. By February 25, the Chinese had deposed the Dalai Lama.

They remained there until 1912 when the Xinhai Revolution officially ended the Qing dynasty, and it became the Republic of China. The Dalia Lama returned, and all Qing forces were expelled from the area.

• Year: 1862
• Invading Force: Confederate Army
• Defending Force: The North

The Antietam Campaign, otherwise known as the Maryland Campaign, was the first invasion of the North by General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army. The attempt to stop the invasion was led up by Union General George B. McClellan, who led his army to attack near Sharpsburg, Maryland. What resulted was one of the bloodiest battle days ever recorded in American history.

• Year: 1941
• Invading Force: Germany
• Defending Force: Soviet Union

A real turning point for Germany during World War II began when Hitler decided to break the Nonaggression Pact of 1939 and try to invade the Soviet Union. This was a major invasion and operation, which consisted of three million troops. However, it was not enough.

The frigid temperatures in Russia combined with a Soviet resistance that wouldn't back down was too much for the Germans to take. They lost the invasion and the battle, and from there, they continued to fall apart until the war ended.

• Year: 1967
• Invading Force: Israel
• Defending Force: Egypt

One of the most interesting and famous invasions in world history is the notorious Six Day War. In this brisk confrontation, Israel launched a surprise attack against Arab forces. Preemptive air strikes destroyed 90% of the Egyptian air force on the ground on June 5, 1967. Because of the success, Israel was able to take over several key territories, including the Gaza Strip, Sinai, East Jerusalem, Golan Heights, and the West Bank.

• Year: 1708
• Invading Force: Sweden
• Defending Force: Russia

One of the famous invasions of the 1700s took place when leader Charles XII of Sweden decided to invade Russia during the Great Northern War. The invasion began on January 1st, 1708, when they crossed the Vistula River. It lasted until July 8, 1709, when the Swedish were defeated in Poltava. After that, the Swedish army continued to pose a military threat, but it ultimately didn't go anywhere.

• Year: 1939
• Invading Force: Germany, Soviet Union, Slovakia
• Defending Force: Poland

This is easily one of the most famous invasions in world history because it sparked the beginning of World War II. The Germans took the Polish completely by surprise on September 1st, and then the Soviet Union's Red Army came in from the east on September 17.

Once the invasion was over, the country of Poland was partitioned between Germany and the Soviet Union according to a Nonaggression Pact they signed before the invasion. Want to learn more about World War II? Check out this list of the toughest World War II planes.