Invasion of Cambodia (1970)
The invasion of Cambodia was initiated by the United States and South Vietnam to stop the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong from providing supplies to troops in South Vietnam. The invasion began in 1970 on the 29 of April and lasted till the 22 of July in 1970. Before the invasion had occurred, the North Vietnamese army had set up bases within Cambodia’s eastern provinces and the U.S military advisors had wanted these bases bombed. Lyndon B. Johnson who was president of the US at the time opposed the operation. As the activity of the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong continued to increase at a fast rate, it began to concern South Vietnam and the United States. Therefore, after Richard Nixon was elected president, he gave permission for the bombing of the bases to be commenced. The invasion began in 1969 with a series of aerial raids against the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong bases nevertheless, failing. With a failed attempt to destroy the bases, in that same year President Nixon sent troops to Cambodia to destroy the bases once and for all. Creighton Abrams, general of the US and South Vietnamese forces led the attack on neutral Cambodia in 1970. The American and South Vietnamese forces were hoping to defeat the 40,000 Vietnamese troops and seizing control of their headquarters but, they were not successful. The assault on Cambodia also resulted in numerous violent antiwar protests held by college students throughout the United States; college students held marches, rallies, and committed violent actions. Because of these protests, Nearly 400 schools were affected and more than 200 colleges and universities closed in protest. In one of these protests, four students were killed at Kent State University when a national guardsman opened fire. Due to the events that were ensued by the invasion of Cambodia, Frank Church proposed an amendment that would exclude the US military from using any funds that would be used in any future military operations in Cambodia. Congress passed the bill but, a modified version of it in which the U.S military would not only be prohibited from using military funds in Cambodia but, also in Laos, Thailand, and North and South Vietnam. Vietnam’s neighbor, Laos was soon invaded by US forces and it led to an increase in support for the Communist forces. This increase helped the Communist Forces in such a way that by 1973, they controlled most of Vietnam. In conclusion, the invasion of Cambodia was an important event that happened during the Vietnam War because it sprung numerous violent protests in the United States. It also forced Congress to pass an amendment that prohibited US military forces in Indochina from using military funds in any future military operations they would operate in Cambodia, North and South Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.
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