Tibet has long been a target for its neighboring countries, especially China. Since its foundation in the late 7th century, the former independent state has been invaded, conquered, and used too many times to count. To name a few: in 1207, it was the Genghis Khan-led Mongols, whom Tibet allowed to take control for fear of a potentially devastating fight (Leibo). In 1604, an army came from Manchuria and took Tibet by force. In 1903 (McKay), Colonel Francis Younghusband took it upon himself to lead the British army into Lhasa, Tibet's capital, and claim Tibet as part of the British Empire (Leibo). This did not last, as Younghusband was not authorized to do so, and Britain subsequently became one of the first Western countries to recognize Tibet
