Occupying a Planet

[Zoombie]

If you were going to invade and occupy a vaguely Earthlike planet, what supplies would you bring and how would you keep the natives down?

[otterman]

How did you know I was here? Now I'll have to pack up my cheese doodles and be off.

[Bufty]

Do you honestly think anybody here is going to reveal classified information like that? Sheesh! :Shrug:

If you were going to invade and occupy a vaguely Earthlike planet, what supplies would you bring and how would you keep the natives down?

[Smiling Ted]

If you were going to invade and occupy a vaguely Earthlike planet, what supplies would you bring and how would you keep the natives down?

We were a peaceful people, listeners to public radio, readers of literary supplements.

Thus they occupied our homeworld-
With tens of millions of boxes with screens all across our defenseless planet.

Ai! Each box had an independent power source, and ten thousand satellite chanels!
Ai! Each box had optional sports and home-shopping bundles and video on demand!
Ai! Each box had a remote, with flatscreen and surround sound!

We lost all muscle tone, hypnotized by digital video recording and picture within picture.
We faded to nothing, captives of young urban sitcoms in which nothing happens at the end of each episode.
We starved to death in our 'bArkalownchahrs, unable to resist.

Ai, have mercy on us!

Now I, legally blind and the last of my people, must chant our death lament.

Aiih, have mercy on us!

[blacbird]

You could study what we did in Iraq, and then make sure you do everything differently.

caw

[dpaterso]

Around a million battle robots should do the trick.

Are the women... attractive?

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u62/dpat57/orionslavegirl.jpg

-Derek

[Plot Device]

If you were going to invade and occupy a vaguely Earthlike planet, what supplies would you bring and how would you keep the natives down?

What level of technology do the inhabitants have?

I personally liked the typical Roman strategy. Romans would march in, defeat everyone, then say: "Keep your cuture and your religion, just learn our language, pay us taxes and allow us to install roads, a magistrate, and a garrison."

And disease would be a huge concern for both sides of the deal.




In the area of disease, there was one very cool episode of Stargate SG1 in which they found a sparesly populated argicultural planet of very very few humans who had what looked like a 12th century Earth technology. The humans had a symbiotic relationship with a very advanced off-world civilization that would buy their grain in exchange for medically maintaning them and protecting them from disease. The SG1 team assumed this advanced civilzation was friendly and wanted to begin a diplomatic relationship with them. But then the SG1 team discovered that there used to be an early-20th-century level of technology on that same planet just a few centries earlier, and it had been wiped out by some disease. So this advanced civilization came along and kindly imunized everyone on the planet against the disease, but then they (the original citizens of that planet) found out too late that the imunization caused sterility (the diesease was actually deliberately planted by the advanced guys in order to trick the whole planet into wilingly getting immunized). So the advanced civilization successfully tricked those early-20th-century-level humans into depleating their own planet-wide population by over 90%, and then the advacned guys lowered their level of technology by several centuries, and then forced the few humans who remained alive into becoming surfs who plowed the fields and surrendered their grain to their overlords. And when the SG1 team figured all of this out, they realized these advanced guys had similar plans for Earth. So the SG1 team had to flee that planet and also had to close the iris behind them and keep the bad guys from dialing through.

This was a particularly cool episode because there was suddenly a new bad guy/enemy for Earth to worry about in addition to the Goauld. And also, the whole concept of the systematic enslavement of a planet disguised as symbiosis by tricking them via a deliberately planted disease followed up by a sleight-of-hand with the imunization was very very well thought out.

[MattDempsey]

1. What tech level do I possess?
2. What tech level is the earthlike planet?
3. What is the primary objective of the occupation?
4. How many resources can I throw at this?
5. How long will the occupation last?
6. What are my requirements for the planet? Can I drop asteroids or do I need to retain its population and industry?


I think if I had a superior tech I would try to exploit any major religions on the planet, a little staged 'second coming' might make things easier in the long run.

[Zoombie]

Well, in my story, we have FTL, advanced weapons and advanced robotic support and they have WWI era weapons and were having lots of fun slaughtering each other en mass when we showed up.

And, the word occupy usually means you are invading to keep, not just showing up to blow it to smithereens. So asteroid drops are out...nukes would have to be reigned in.

Personally, I'd copy the Romans too. But I'd steal some Imperial German Army tactics: Hostages.

If an inhabitant of the planet injures or kills a solider, the local garrison rounds up 20 or so people and shoots them a day later if the agitator doesn't come forward.

Obviously, this would only be for areas of the planet that have major unrest. For "green" zones, I'd have occupational law. For "red zones" I'd have martial law and hostages.

But be sure to have Space Superiority...means you can drop all manner of deadly things on them. Heck, a pinpoint laser could take out missiles, aircraft...probably sea ships as well, if the beam is strong enough.

Personally, I'd think germs between species, unless the species are REALLY close genetically, is...a bit unlikely. But not so unlikely that measures shouldn't be taken.

[She_wulf]

What level of technology do the inhabitants have?

I personally liked the typical Roman strategy. Romans would march in, defeat everyone, then say: "Keep your cuture and your religion, just learn our language, pay us taxes and allow us to install roads, a magistrate, and a garrison."

...

Mostly I agree, but I'll disagree on a point. In Briton, the Romans dismantled the religious structure because it was closely intertwined with the political structure. In fact, many kings/ leaders didn't give up their holdings, instead the Druids (so-called Druids) were singled out and eradicated because of their global hold over the country.

So, on the point of keeping religion and culture, they stamped it out in Briton.

If the religious structure is also political, you have a problem with cultural influence and the war will last at least one to two generations. Same goes for a history of warfare or/coupled with strong belief in land ownership/independence. Terrain can also factor in. Large land masses with difficult terrain and hidey holes cripples fast infiltrations. The better options are propaganda and/or divide and conquer.

Here's my take on it.
First step: assemble a large enough strike force for initial combat losses and strategic outpost garrisons. (and funding) (Alexander the Great)
Second step (while the first step is in progress) begin saturation of propaganda at home so the average citizen views the new planet as "in need of our help" or "threatening to our way of life" (reference the Korean War)
Third step: Strategically place a spy system and system of infiltration on the planet. Your spies should not only be able to access critical areas, but influence minor and limited major players into helping your troops when they arrive. (CIA VietNam, screwed up by misjudging exterior influence and cultural influences)
Fourth step: invasion. Be prepared for above average loss and contingencies such as climate, supply chain disruption, and guerrilla insurgencies. (Claudius Caesar, AD 43)
Fifth step: (in conjunction with fourth step) dismantle/disable communication links. Keep the general populace unaware of the invasion. (Desert Storm)
Sixth step: eradicate central command, dismantle power structure (Romans, British, Germans, Americans, the list goes on...)
Seventh step: install and maintain garrisons and regular troop sweeps to quell rebellion (Agricola)
Eighth step: Utilize spy network and propaganda to subvert the general populace and make them believe you are "helping" them. Allow enough "superior technology" to make their lives easier, but not assist them to obtain WMD's or superior firepower. (Briton, Afganistan, Iraq)
Ninth step: install an interim government of locals that will bend to your "suggestions" (Persia, Asia Minor, Gaul, Egypt, Briton, the West Indies, Hawaii, Israel, Germany, South Korea, Japan....)

Gosh, does any of this sound familiar? (see stuff in parenthesis) It should. It's been modus operandi since Alexander the Great.

Suggested reading (from my personal reading list): The Prince by Machiavelli, Plato's Republic, Peter Berensford Ellis "The Celts", The Britannia and Agricola, and The Art of War

[waylander]

Good list but you missed one thing.
Don't allow any journalists in.

[Straka]

occupations are a messy affair. Depends I suppose if you want to make the occupiers nice. It might be simplier to have take a different tack on the hostage option by having a orbital gun pointed at major cities. Then have small occupational units that control the major sources of water and electricity.

[Higgins]

Well, in my story, we have FTL, advanced weapons and advanced robotic support and they have WWI era weapons and were having lots of fun slaughtering each other en mass when we showed up.

And, the word occupy usually means you are invading to keep, not just showing up to blow it to smithereens. So asteroid drops are out...nukes would have to be reigned in.

Personally, I'd copy the Romans too. But I'd steal some Imperial German Army tactics: Hostages.

If an inhabitant of the planet injures or kills a solider, the local garrison rounds up 20 or so people and shoots them a day later if the agitator doesn't come forward.

Obviously, this would only be for areas of the planet that have major unrest. For "green" zones, I'd have occupational law. For "red zones" I'd have martial law and hostages.

But be sure to have Space Superiority...means you can drop all manner of deadly things on them. Heck, a pinpoint laser could take out missiles, aircraft...probably sea ships as well, if the beam is strong enough.

Personally, I'd think germs between species, unless the species are REALLY close genetically, is...a bit unlikely. But not so unlikely that measures shouldn't be taken.

Why do you have to occupy the place? You already have infinite superiority and what could they possibly have that you would want?

This is sort of the puzzle of projecting military power in general: you could probably get what you want a lot more easily just by paying a fair price for it, unless your motive is more or less genocidal or you have enemies you wish to forstall or you need the positions...but if you have FTL and are roving space, its hard to see a planet as a position in a strategic sense.

[Straka]

There is always infiltration, then subversive occupation and puppet governments

[MargueriteMing]

What is the point of keeping the populace around?

[JimmyB27]

A big gun.

[Higgins]

Here's my take on it.
First step: assemble a large enough strike force for initial combat losses and strategic outpost garrisons. (and funding) (Alexander the Great)
Second step (while the first step is in progress) begin saturation of propaganda at home so the average citizen views the new planet as "in need of our help" or "threatening to our way of life" (reference the Korean War)


I realize there are a lot of assumptions that Sci-Fi makes as a genre that make occupying whole planets of aliens who are more or less human to the point that they are like Celts engaged in WWI level wars seem plausible...but really: aren't assumptions like that even stranger than the "adventures" various humanoids can have while treating each other to the imaginary bad moments of each others imaginary histories? I mean the story is all encoded in the assumptions and I'm sure that's fine for the genre...but isn't it worth wondering about how strange it is to assume that infinitely superior technological groups would operate like nation states at all (for example) and that any kind of conquest and occupation makes any sense at all in that context?

[slcboston]

Why would you want to occupy it if they're so far behind you? Aren't there planets with equal resources elsewhere *without* a pesky population?

Seems to me that given the differing levels of tech, whatever your intentions it's going to go a lot like the Europeans in the New World.

[slcboston]

Oh, and if the planet itself occupies some strategic position (though why not use it's uninhabited neighbors instead?) then it seems to me, though this will sound cold, you'll be better off eliminating that pesky population from the get-go. Otherwise it's strategic value will be undercut by having to fight the natives.

Who are not going to just peaceably welcome you, so long as their governments haven't previously wiped each other out. :)

[Bartholomew]

If you were going to invade and occupy a vaguely Earthlike planet, what supplies would you bring and how would you keep the natives down?

I would do it from space. Aside from that, it would depend on the tech-level of the inhabitants.

[Bartholomew]

What is the point of keeping the populace around?

Politics. Even though I WANT to glass the planet, it'd be a PR nightmare that might cost my rank.

[Bartholomew]

Reasons to occupy a planet, in force-- (feel free to use these, poke holes in them, or expand on them.)

The planet has an essential resource.

The planet has an atmosphere that your race can exist in naturally, and would make an excellent supply depot along the way to some other, distant point.

The planet is connected to a distant, required point by way of a complicated gate system, and you do not have Light Speed, Warp, Quasi-Space, or anything-else travel.

The planet used to be yours and someone else invaded.

The Planet actually orbits two solar systems, and every second century, when that planet is in the same solar system as yours, the inhabitants take pot-shots at you.

There is no FLS travel, the planets are very close together, inhabitable worlds are rare, the tech level of both places are about the same, and you've got serious population control issues.

Religion. It can be an excuse for anything.

The inhabitants of the planet keep attacking your trade routes // cities.

[Paichka]

If I were doing it, I'd give them all the plague first. A few blankets fresh off the corpses of smallpox victims ought to do the job nicely. Then I'd get them all hooked on sugar and alcohol...just to really dork with their metabolisms.

Then I'd tell them they needed to live on special...ehm...community farms. And their children would need to go to special schools to learn to be good citizens of the Intergalactic Republic (and conveniently, they'd never learn about their own history or culture there). I'd rename all their kids in English, cut their hair and make them dress like earthlings. Whenever they tell me things about their own culture, I'd say stuff like, "Oh, you really think that? How...quaint." All while flying around in my badass spaceship, making all the kids want to be just like me and my Soldiers.

That's what I'd do.

Executing whole towns because one dude attacked me? Nope. We tried that in Iraq and it hasn't been working so well for us. Now, setting up "concerned local citizens" groups and paying the sheiks whenever their folks turn in bad guys and weapons? That's been working like brilliant blue blazes. So that's what I would do. Make all their freedom fighters into terrorists and insurgents, and pay big money to anyone who turned one in.

That's what I'd do, if I were an evil overlord...;)

[MDSchafer]

Personally, what I would do to a planet of our technological level would be to move a fairly large, but not planet killing, asteroid into a collision course, and using my super math skills make sure it hit someplace really useful, like the middle east and wipe out most of our oil supply.

Then wait a bit and see how the world goes to hell without free energy, fake a first contact and offer cold fusion tech or some other form of free energy, but retain control of the manufacturing and distribution of power. Once Earth is reliant on this new tech you put the world into blackout for a few days as you negotiate a peace settlement, set up a Vichy style government on Earth, and rule the whole thing cheaply without shedding any of your own blood.

[Storm Dream]

Get them addicted to something. The sci fi equivalent of opium, perhaps. Something that isn't natural to their world and needs to be shipped in, and since they have no ships, they need you around so they can obtain it. Hang that over their heads and they will start cooperating.

Granted, it won't nail the entire population, but if you can addict some high-ranking officials, they'll be able to exert their influence on others.

[Ordinary_Guy]

Interesting, ain't it? You give a broad question, but as soon as you start putting parameters on it, the story starts writing itself.
Well, in my story, we have FTL, advanced weapons and advanced robotic support and they have WWI era weapons and were having lots of fun slaughtering each other en mass when we showed up.
Sounds like we're invading ourselves. At the very least, we know the mindset.
And, the word occupy usually means you are invading to keep, not just showing up to blow it to smithereens. So asteroid drops are out...nukes would have to be reigned in.
I'd reverse it. Small asteroids, comets, etc; you can tailor the size/speed/angle to regulate the yield and the aftermath is non-radioactive (save for whatever may have been in what was destroyed).

But would you really need WMDs? The closer our tech is to their, the more you need The Big Statement. At that point, though, you wonder how we managed to advance our space travel so much without any of the peripheral technologies advancing. If we have normal development, then all our techs will be comparatively advanced and should greatly reduce the need for vulgar displays of brute force.
Personally, I'd copy the Romans too. But I'd steal some Imperial German Army tactics: Hostages.
Again, this is really only necessary if we're uncomfortably close to their tech level. Even then, it would probably only be a short-term solution. The subjected, if they're anything like us, will eventually adjust to the leverage technique and either hide the important ones or mentally prepare to write them off from the very beginning. I guarantee it with your own description of the race: they were having lots of fun slaughtering each other en mass when we showed up.

Re: The H.G. Wells Defense:
Personally, I'd think germs between species, unless the species are REALLY close genetically, is...a bit unlikely. But not so unlikely that measures shouldn't be taken.
This is wide, wide open. It's highly likely that if the environment is friendly enough that it's worth invading to keep, then the otherwise compatible biosphere is going to be able to infect us quite capably.

Three more things:
As pointed out, if we're keeping the place - why leave any survivors at all? Flush it out, erect a statue for the past and colonize with a clean slate. Ultimately, it's the only affordable way. Of course, homeworld politics may make this impractical...
If we're not exterminating the natives, we have to figure out how to establish a peace if we're going to homestead among them. In this case, you follow the lead of how the US dominated the world. It has nothing to do with firepower, it's about blue jeans and cheeseburgers. You commoditize their future: offer advanced, superior alternatives to everything they've already got. They've got a steel recirculating fan to cool an office? We offer a desktop air conditioner the size of a coffee cup. They have a filing cabinet and a typewriter? We offer a laptop computer. They have an Edsel? We offer a hovercar. Haggas? Meet quarter-pounder.
AI. Robots. You mentioned the advanced robotic support but I don't feel the gravity of just how huge this changes the game. Star Trek didn't deal with it because Roddenberry wanted humans at the center of the story. That's fine, but it doesn't ring true (especially in the day and age of robots already exploring Mars for us). Robots will fight, clean, organize and do just about everything. Robots will be the infantry by 2030, pulling the trigger. It will be a deadlier battlefield for those facing the 'bots, and the deploying country (the US, mainly) will be far likely to do so because there are no robot moms at home mourning the loss of their little Mark VIII Urban Dominator. It makes genocide uncomfortably easy... but it also makes peacekeeping and surgical combat far less costly and far more cost-effective.
...Just stuff to think about.

[Jaycinth]

If you were going to invade and occupy a vaguely Earthlike planet, what supplies would you bring?

Supplies? Screw the supplies. I have an invasion fleet.

HELL....

I have a PLANET!

and how would you keep the natives down?

Cook them well with seasoning and if they are really tough, a nice Burgundy should do the trick.

[She_wulf]

From "the Prince" written approximately 1505
Upon this a question arises: whether it be better to be loved than feared or feared than loved? It may be answered that one should wish to be both, but, because it is difficult to unite them in one person, is much safer to be feared than loved, when, of the two, either must be dispensed with.


Because this is to be asserted in general of men, that they are ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly, covetous, and as long as you succeed they are yours entirely; they will offer you their blood, property, life and children, as is said above, when the need is far distant; but when it approaches they turn against you. And that prince who, relying entirely on their promises, has neglected other precautions, is ruined; because friendships that are obtained by payments, and not by greatness or nobility of mind, may indeed be earned, but they are not secured, and in time of need cannot be relied upon; and men have less scruple in offending one who is beloved than one who is feared, for love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.



Nevertheless a prince ought to inspire fear in such a way that, if he does not win love, he avoids hatred; because he can endure very well being feared whilst he is not hated, which will always be as long as he abstains from the property of his citizens and subjects and from their women. But when it is necessary for him to proceed against the life of someone, he must do it on proper justification and for manifest cause, but above all things he must keep his hands off the property of others, because men more quickly forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony. Besides, pretexts for taking away the property are never wanting; for he who has once begun to live by robbery will always find pretexts for seizing what belongs to others; but reasons for taking life, on the contrary, are more difficult to find and sooner lapse. But when a prince is with his army, and has under control a multitude of soldiers, then it is quite necessary for him to disregard the reputation of cruelty, for without it he would never hold his army united or disposed to its duties.

So, taking over a planet, you're taking over land as well...this induces a conflict because there will be those that won't forget what they've lost.

How do you work this to your advantage?

Easy. Utilize their hatred of each other against them. Find one of the social/economic/political groups that has less natural resources that YOU need and pit them against the one whose land/etc. you do need. Give them the superior weapons and means to wipe out the other culture, then swoop in and "share" the land they conquered for you. You can always set yourself up as the good guy by first offering the principality you want a "deal" that they'll never agree to. One that puts you in primary control of all their stuff. When their leaders say no, go to the other principality and offer them a slice.

You're going to get it anyways, so work the factions and limit your losses.

:evilgrin:

Amy

[MattW]

Childhood's End with a modified objective.

V with more believable scapegoats.

[Death Wizard]

You could study what we did in Iraq, and then make sure you do everything differently.

caw

Ha!

[ProtoMatic]

As I haven't read all the suggestions, this may have been suggested before, but if I had supperior technology, I'd show off with the most powerful weapon first of all (as long as it's not planet destroying), then just send in one diplomat to hand over my demands.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and I'd use it in some non-populated area, just to show that I really don't want to have to use it on a densely populated area. Makes all the difference. After all, who'd want to surrender to a maniac. :)

[Lhun]

Well, in my story, we have FTL, advanced weapons and advanced robotic support and they have WWI era weapons and were having lots of fun slaughtering each other en mass when we showed up.

And, the word occupy usually means you are invading to keep, not just showing up to blow it to smithereens. So asteroid drops are out...nukes would have to be reigned in.
Well if it's FTL vs. WWI tech space superiority is still all you need. You'll not want any of the infrastructure and as long as your kinetic orbital weapons aren't radioactie or poisonous (so make sure the asteroids you drop are only iron or rock) there's not much permanent damage.
I mean, you can take out any kind of target without dropping a real crustbreaker, and an asteroid crater of a few hundred meters is impressive as hell but will not cause any permanent damage to the planet or even the ecosystem.

[Jaycinth]

Flippancy aside, why do you want to occupy this planet? Or, better yet, why do you want to occupy this planet while maintaining the existence of the dominant sentient life form?

Is there 'profit in it'?

If they do something better than you, it is logical to learn their process then wipe them out before they master your technology and wipe you out.

Unless they are the same species. Then I'd have to re-think your conquest.

[Smiling Ted]

For a little perspective on occupying a planet (and on a dozen other sci-fi concepts; the man's a frikkin' genius) I recommend Vernor Vinge's novel, A Deepness in the Sky. The book is a rigorously "hard science" extrapolation. Occupation is a constant temptation to one of the main characters and his group of high-tech, STL traders...and it often ends in disaster.

[She_wulf]

Well if it's FTL vs. WWI tech space superiority is still all you need. You'll not want any of the infrastructure and as long as your kinetic orbital weapons aren't radioactie or poisonous (so make sure the asteroids you drop are only iron or rock) there's not much permanent damage.
I mean, you can take out any kind of target without dropping a real crustbreaker, and an asteroid crater of a few hundred meters is impressive as hell but will not cause any permanent damage to the planet or even the ecosystem.
I forgot, you also have to reduce the variables
1) don't go up against little kids with lots of water glasses lying around half empty
2) don't build an exhaust port for your main reactor shaft with an access width larger than a space-craft launched missile
3) Take plenty of Airborne before landing, you don't want to catch cold
4) Don't have your main "death ray" connected to your central reactors
5) Don't use Windows-based OS
6) Make certain your network computers are hack proof - especially hack proof from Macintoshes and teenage genius' gaming systems
7) send your shock troops in armed with plenty of their own Skittles


Anyone else have suggestions?

Amy

[Bartholomew]

Flippancy aside, why do you want to occupy this planet? Or, better yet, why do you want to occupy this planet while maintaining the existence of the dominant sentient life form?

Is there 'profit in it'?

If they do something better than you, it is logical to learn their process then wipe them out before they master your technology and wipe you out.

Unless they are the same species. Then I'd have to re-think your conquest.

Why wipe them out? The slave market is always profitable.

[MONDARIZ]

I would read "The Conquest of new Spain" by Bernal Diaz.


Now there is a blueprint for conquering a technological inferior civilization.

[Jaycinth]

Why wipe them out? The slave market is always profitable.

I don't see a profit margin here.

I mean you have to round them up.

You have to put them on your space ship.

You have to transport them somewhere for sale.

You have to feed them and water them...and HELL...You have to provide them with air to breathe.

Oh, and you also have to dispose of their crap.

Space ship fuel is not going to be cheap, and neither is supporting thousands of slaves in what amounts to an enclosed biosphere for (I'll be kind) a couple of months.

So, unless they are the same species, or close enough that is doesn't matter, then you just start processing the planet's natural resources. When there is nothing but a rock left, you process that for ore. When there is no planet left, you process the primary.

Alternately, you find the biggest island, wipe out all sentient life on it, colonize it and use that as your base to colonize [read 'take over'] the remaining part of the planet.

You can keep the natives alive on the planet as slaves, (mechanical labor is more reliable) or you can transport them somewhere else,(expense/bottom line) but if you leave more than a few natives alive as curiosities in a zoo somewhere, they will come back and bite your ass. It may take a dozen years or a dozen centuries, but they will come back, and they will not be amused,

[Poohcat]

To invade a Planet is pretty much the same as invading a country. First good intelligence identifying strategic centres and targets, leading political leaders and organisation and the state of defences. A military evaluation of the potential opposition.
Remember that it is easier to occupy a unified planet than it would be to occupy Earth. With a unified planet you need to occupy the capital and a few major centres, and you are fighting just one military force.

On Earth you no unified political structure and no unified military. Therefore you will have to fight a minimum of twenty wars. The US/North America, UK/Europe, Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, India, Pakistan, South America (especially Brazil), South Africa, North Africa,and possibly Australia. A defeat of one will not pacify the whole planet.

Then there is the problem of large expanses of the world that have widespread populations who are fiercely independent and wont go quietly.
Remember the old maxim "it is easier to invade than to hold".

The easiest way to hold a country is a large occupation force and a puppet government. There will always be a minority of the population who will always resist and never capitulate. The easiest way to deal with these is to kill them all. Unpleasant, possibly illegal and definitely immoral but cost effective in the long run.

If you don't wont keep the planet for colonisation but just want to strip mine the place, then the form of attack can be more devastating- weapons of mass destruction biological and chemical weapons.If you do want to occupy the place then it will have to be a slow, landmass by landmass invasion so you do the least damage. Divide and conquer is always the best attack.

Attack in two or more directions at once force your opponent to divide their forces and keep them guessing.

Good references are Attila the Hun, Caesar invasions of Gaul and Britain, Hannibal's invasion of Roman Italy, Alexander the Greats invasions of Africa, Asia and Egypt and the Viking/Frankish invasions of Europe.

All these people had to invade and occupy lands far away from there bases and resupply, they all ended up occupying the conquered lands in perpetuity (Hannibal and Attila excepted.

As for troop numbers there are approximately 100 million people under arms on Earth, including police, navy, air and army forces and paramilitary forces. Spread across 145 countries, 10 have nuclear forces, at least 7 maintain biological weapons and 25 have chemical weapons, 4 have space weapons of varying levels of reliability and use.

Therefore you face an opposition of large numbers and varying degrees of training, reliability and technology. They will fight to the last man as people fight hardest for their home.

Remember you have to take out the toughest first- not the same thing as the largest, or the most technological, but the toughest will continue to fight and will cost you men and resources and time- which you may not be able to afford

Even the mouse will fight the cat when his back is to the wall!!

[truelyana]

If you were going to invade and occupy a vaguely Earthlike planet, what supplies would you bring and how would you keep the natives down?

Is this counting our physical shells?