Cambodian Civil War facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cambodian Civil War |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Vietnam War, the Indochina Wars and the Cold War | |||||||
 Map of Cambodia |
|||||||
|
|||||||
The Cambodian Civil War was a big conflict in Cambodia that lasted for about five years, from 1970 to 1975. It was part of bigger wars happening in Southeast Asia, like the Vietnam War. In this war, two main groups fought against each other. One side was the Khmer Republic, which was friendly with countries like the United States and South Vietnam. The other side was the Khmer Rouge, who were supported by North Vietnam and the Viet Cong. The war ended in 1975 when the Khmer Rouge won.
Contents
Understanding the Conflict
The Cambodian Civil War was a very important event in Cambodian history. It changed the country a lot. This war was also connected to the larger Cold War, which was a period of tension between the United States and its allies, and the Soviet Union and its allies.
Who Was Fighting?
There were two main sides in the Cambodian Civil War:
The Khmer Republic
This was the government of Cambodia at the time. It was led by Lon Nol after he took power in 1970. The Khmer Republic was supported by the United States and South Vietnam. They wanted to stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia.
The Khmer Rouge
This was a communist group in Cambodia. They were led by Pol Pot. The Khmer Rouge were supported by North Vietnam and the Viet Cong. These groups wanted to create a communist government in Cambodia.
Why Did the War Start?
The war started for several reasons. Cambodia had been trying to stay neutral in the Vietnam War. However, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces were using parts of Cambodia as bases and supply routes. This made the United States and South Vietnam upset.
In 1970, Lon Nol took over the government from Prince Sihanouk. Prince Sihanouk then joined forces with the Khmer Rouge to fight against Lon Nol's new government. This made the conflict much bigger.
Key Events of the War
The war lasted for five years, with intense fighting across Cambodia.
Outside Involvement
The United States and South Vietnam bombed parts of Cambodia to try and destroy North Vietnamese and Viet Cong bases. This bombing also affected Cambodian villages and people. The US also sent troops into Cambodia for a short time in 1970.
Fighting Spreads
As the war continued, the Khmer Rouge gained more control over the countryside. They fought against the Khmer Republic's army. Many Cambodian people were caught in the middle of the fighting.
The End of the War
By 1975, the Khmer Republic's capital city, Phnom Penh, was surrounded by Khmer Rouge forces. On April 17, 1975, the Khmer Rouge took over Phnom Penh. This marked the end of the Cambodian Civil War. The Khmer Rouge won the war and took control of Cambodia. They renamed the country Democratic Kampuchea.
Images for kids
-
Meeting in Beijing: Mao Zedong (left), Prince Sihanouk (center), and Liu Shaoqi (right)
-
Areas under government control, August 1970
-
A memorial to the civil war in Siem Reap, Cambodia, with a rusted wreck of a Soviet-built T-54 main battle tank used during the war. Large numbers of T-54s were used by Cambodia during and after the bloody fighting of the conflict between 1970 and 1975, with many such wrecks (in various states of abandonment and disrepair) scattered all over the country today.
-
Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia visiting Communist Romania in 1972.
-
The final offensive against Phnom Penh in April 1975
-
Saukham Khoy, successor to Lon Nol as President of the Khmer Republic arrives on board the USS Okinawa on 12 April 1975 after being evacuated from Phnom Penh.
See also
In Spanish: Guerra civil camboyana para niños
