Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia

Vietnam’s December 1978 military campaign that drove the Khmer Rouge from Phnom Penh and installed a new Cambodian government, beginning a decade-long Vietnamese presence.

Cambodian–Vietnamese War: A 1977–1991 conflict between Vietnam and Cambodia, including Khmer Rouge attacks, Vietnam’s invasion, and subsequent occupation. This broader conflict includes both the border fighting that preceded the invasion and the resistance that followed it.
Vietnam–Cambodia relations: The historical and political relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia, marked by cooperation, territorial disputes, and conflict. Longstanding mistrust and disputes formed the backdrop to the 1978 invasion.
Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia: Vietnam’s military presence and political influence in Cambodia from 1979 until the withdrawal of its troops in 1989. The invasion became a prolonged occupation as Vietnam supported the new Cambodian government.
Sino-Vietnamese War: A brief 1979 war in which China invaded northern Vietnam after Vietnam overthrew the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. China’s attack exposed the regional costs Vietnam faced for intervening in Cambodia.
Khmer Rouge: A Cambodian communist movement that ruled Democratic Kampuchea from 1975 to 1979 under Pol Pot. Its attacks on Vietnamese territory and Cambodian civilians helped provoke Vietnam’s military intervention.
Pol Pot: The Cambodian communist leader who headed the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 until its overthrow in 1979. His government pursued policies and border attacks that brought Cambodia into conflict with Vietnam.
Cambodian resistance: Armed opposition to governments in Cambodia, including resistance by Khmer Rouge and non-communist factions after 1979. Forces opposing the Vietnamese-backed government continued fighting after Phnom Penh fell.
Vietnamese intervention in Cambodia: Vietnam’s military action in Cambodia from 1978, described by supporters as liberation and by opponents as invasion and occupation. The competing labels capture the central dispute over Vietnam’s motives and the legitimacy of its actions.
Cambodian–Vietnamese border conflict: A series of armed clashes between Khmer Rouge Cambodia and Vietnam, escalating sharply from 1977 through 1978. The border attacks supplied Vietnam with an immediate military rationale for launching the invasion.
Democratic Kampuchea: The official name of Cambodia under Khmer Rouge rule from 1975 to 1979. The invasion targeted the regime that had transformed Cambodia into a radically repressive state.

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