1970 — Portugal's Night Invasion of Guinea

In the early hours of November 22, 1970, Portuguese warships surrounded Conakry in a covert raid called Operation Green Sea. Hundreds of troops landed by night with orders to overthrow President Ahmed Sékou Touré, capture liberation leader Amílcar Cabral, and destroy Guinea's support for Guinea-Bissau's freedom fighters. It was an ambitious plan for a single night: a government toppled, a movement beheaded, and a sanctuary for liberation struck out from under its guests in one blow.

The raiders freed Portuguese prisoners and wrecked ships and airfields — but Touré survived, Cabral was abroad, and the United Nations condemned Portugal for invading a sovereign nation. The coup collapsed within hours.