Military History Of Cambodia
Several historical accounts have provided enough documentary evidence to confirm the military origins of Cambodia. The military history of Cambodia is a remarkable one and there are several landmarks that are worth mentioning. In the distant past, Cambodia occupied the Malay Peninsula, parts of Thailand, and Laos to extend its influence over a considerably large portion of Southeast Asia. |
However, the bellicose dexterity of Khmer diminished in the early 15th century. Consequently, Cambodia had to go through tough periods of occupation, vassalage, and colonization by the more powerful neighboring countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam. This enduring phase of decline reached its depths of despair in the early half of the 19th century, when there were massive infringements into the country causing the country to stop being a sovereign state.
Another turning point in the military history of Cambodia came in 1863, when the Cambodian King agreed with the organization of a French protectorate over the nation to prevent it from complete destruction. As a result, Cambodia soon emerged as a de facto colony, which later developed into a modern state that boasted of its own trained armed troops and a military doctrine. However, the situation in Cambodia again became chaotic during the World War II. During this time, it was ruled by three different authoritarian governments that exercised varying degrees of domination over the nation.
In the period from 1950 to 1955, military aid was extended to Cambodia by the USA for expansion of its indigenous troops. The military aid was offered in the form of a security assistance program that comprised of extensive military training and formation of a local Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG). The aid was withdrawn after it was terminated by the Cambodian Government. However, it was again offered to Khmer Republic in the year 1970 in form of military security, and was withdrawn after the fall of the government in 1975. Cambodia again became an indisposed host to the aggressive Vietnamese military in the year 1987. Thus, the military history of Cambodia was marked by chaotic situations and a very few strife free periods. It repeated itself a number of times and it was not surprising that Cambodian nationalists had begun to fear that the nation, sooner or later, might be overtaken by the Hanoi-dominated Indochinese federation.
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