Invasion of Cambodia

Definition

The Invasion of Cambodia was a series of military operations conducted in eastern Cambodia during 1970 by the United States and the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) during the Vietnam War.

Analogy

Think of the Invasion of Cambodia like an unexpected guest crashing a party. The US and South Vietnam, worried about North Vietnamese forces using Cambodia as a "back door" to attack them (the party), decided to crash into Cambodia (the unexpected guest) to prevent this from happening.

Related terms

Vietnam War: A long, costly armed conflict that pitted the communist regime of North Vietnam and its southern allies, known as the Viet Cong, against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States.

Richard Nixon: The 37th President of the United States who authorized secret bombing campaigns in Cambodia during his presidency in an attempt to disrupt supply lines for North Vietnamese forces.

Kent State Shootings: An event where four students were killed by National Guardsmen at Kent State University during a protest against the invasion of Cambodia by US forces.