The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan was supposed to be a quick show of force to pacify the country and install a more Moscow-friendly leadership for the Afghan communist regime. But the 40th Army (officially "Limited Contingent of Soviet Troops in Afghanistan") soon found themselves embroiled in a counter insurgency which they weren't prepared for. The tactical successes and increasingly brutal methods against the guerilla mujahedeen tactics didn't win hearts and minds of the Afghan population, however.
On March 28, 1982 almost the entire Argentinian navy, carrying 900 troops, invades the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas). The ruling junta is confident Britain won't oppose the Argentinian fait accompli. But Britain's political will and military ability to carry out a successful campaign at the end of an 12,500 km supply line surprises many.
After the defeat in the 1st Sino-Japanese War, the Qing Dynasty is under pressure: Some are calling for domestic reforms and ousting Western influence, while the Great Powers want to further open up China for their businesses. Violence erupts when the so called Boxer
In March 2003, a US-led coalition invades Iraq. US President George W. Bush claims he must disarm Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein of weapons of mass destruction and depose a brutal regime supporting global terror. But after a lightning capture of Baghdad and other Iraqi cities in the south, the war is far from over.