The Brezhnev Era, 1972–1985: the USA and SE Asia - Continuing Problems in Cambodia

Question 1

Timeline of continuing problems in Cambodia

Answer 1

• 1970
- Lon Nol overthrows Prince Norodom Sihanouk

• 1971
- US sends 119 military advisers to Phnom Penh

• January 1973
- Paris Peace Agreement

• January 1975
- Khmer Rouge attacks Phnom Penh

• April 1975

• US forces evacuated and North Vietnam reaches victory
• Within week later, Khmer Rouge captures Phnom Penh

• 25 December 1978
- Vietnam, with Soviet aid, invade Cambodia

• January 1979
- Phnom Penh captured and Heng Samrin is installed

Question 2

Which Cambodian leader was overthrown? When did this occur?

Answer 2

• Prince Norodom Sihanouk was overthrown by pro-US Lon Nol

- 1970

Question 3

Actions of Khmer Rouge and North Vietnamese

Answer 3

• Khmer Rouge allied with North Vietnamese and fought against pro-US government
• After Paris Peace Agreement (January 1973) which included halt of US bombing of Cambodia, government hoped Khmer Rouge (only 40,000 members) would stop persisting
• Khmer Rouge intensified its fighting

Question 4

How many members were in the Khmer Rouge by January 1973?

Answer 4

• 40,000

Question 5

When was the Paris Peace Agreement finalised?

Answer 5

• January 1973

Question 6

Actions of US

Answer 6

• Initially, US fought with ARVN against Khmer Rouge in Cambodia
• Nixon withdrew US troops from Cambodia, fearing domestic backlash
• US air force bombed country, dropping 430,000 tons on Cambodia
• In 1971, US sent 119 advisers to Phnom Penh

Question 7

How many tons of bombs did the US drop on Cambodia?

Answer 7

• 430,000 tons

Question 8

When did the US send military advisers to Phnom Penh? How many did they send?

Answer 8

• 1971

- 119 advisers

Question 9

Actions of Lon Nol regime

Answer 9

• Army rose to 175,000
• Army was fairly well supported by public but no match for Khmer Rouge, which received North Vietnamese aid
• Fearing his own overthrow, Nol discouraged cooperation across army, navy and air force
• Nol welcomed US arms but didn’t listen to US advice
• Poorly paid, inefficiently led soldiers demoralised and deserted

Question 10

How many people were in Nol’s army?

Answer 10

• 175,000

Question 11

Establishment of the Khmer Rouge regime

Answer 11

• Khmer Rouge isolated Phnom Penh using pincer strategy and attacked the capital in January 1975
• Government forces fought and dug a trench around the city to avoid its capture
• In April 1975, US forces were evacuated and within a week the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh

Question 12

When did the Khmer Rouge attack Phnom Penh?

Answer 12

• January 1975

Question 13

When were US troops evacuated from Cambodia and when did Khmer Rouge capture Phnom Penh?

Answer 13

• April 1975

- Within week of US withdrawal, Khmer Rouge capture Phnom Penh

Question 14

Khmer Rouge revolution

Answer 14

• Aims
- To destroy Cambodia’s existing society and create a new agricultural country

• Effects

• Cities emptied as populations forced into countrysides to be farmers and lead peasant lifestyles
• About 1 million killed during revolution
• War led to 700,000 Cambodian deaths
• Almost half of population turned into refugees

Question 15

How many people were killed during the Khmer Rouge revolution?

Answer 15

• About 1 million people

Question 16

How many Cambodians were killed during the civil war?

Answer 16

• About 700,000 Cambodians

Question 17

How many Cambodians were turned into refugees?

Answer 17

• Almost half of population

Question 18

End of Khmer Rouge

Answer 18

• Khmer Rouge attacked Cambodia-Vietnam border over frontier disputes
• On 25 December 1978, the Vietnamese with Soviet aid, invaded Cambodia
• In January 1979, Phnom Penh was captured
• Pro-Vietnam, Heng Samrin, was installed and political situation stablised

Question 19

When did the Vietnamese with Soviet aid, invade Cambodia?

Answer 19

• 25 December 1978

Question 20

When was Phnom Penh captured by the Vietnamese? Who replaced the Khmer Rouge?

Answer 20

• January 1979

- Pro-Vietnam Heng Samrin