What was Cambodia's role in the Viet-Nam war?

Answer 1

Answer
The Vietcong had routes through Cambodia that were used to send essential supplies to the fighting Vietcong in South Vietnam. The United States began to bomb the countrysides of Cambodia in an effort to stop the transport of Vietcong materials from North Vietnam to South Vietnam. The bombing started in 1969 and on May 1st, 1970 President Nixon announced the U.S. backed invasion of Cambodia even though the bombings had been going on for over a year. This announcement met much criticism from the American public but the bombings continued for years after. During this time, the infamous leader Pol Pot was quietly, but rapidly gaining support in the countrysides of Cambodia. Pol Pol would promise revenge against the Americans for destroying so much and killing so many in order to gain support. Around the time the last American troops left Vietnam, Pol Pot and his forces invaded the capital city of Phnom Penh in 1975. From April 15th, 1975 to December of 1978 Pol Pot and his followers unleashed one of the most brutal genocides history has even seen. It is estimated that 1-2 million people lost their lives during this time period.

Answer 2

Cambodia and Lao's were both officially neutral in the war. But the NVA were sending men and material down through those countries via their Ho Chi Minh trail. Lao's and Cambodia were NOT strong enough to take on the NVA, so they turned a blind eye to the situation. The US wanted the NVA usage of those road net works stopped however; so the US Air Force was allowed by Lao's and Cambodia to bomb those targets, which was not supposed to be known outside of those units involved with those particular missions.

In 1970 and 1971, it was officially declared that US ground forces would invade portions of the NVA staging areas in both Cambodia (we were after COSVN there) and Lao's (but US forces were suddenly ordered not to cross, only the South Viets went in). The Cambodian operation lasted about 60 days and was a fairly successful campaign. The Lao's operation was a bitter fight, that some historians consider to be an allied defeat.