Driving Factors Pushing Cambodia into Vietnam War (1960s-1970s)

Vietnam War, also known as Indochina war, is one of the serious historical tragedies for the Vietnamese and the neighboring countries, Laos and Cambodia. Millions of people died and thousands of houses were destroyed. The war took place from the 1950s to 1970s. This war is commonly known as the competition between the Communist bloc led by Soviet Union and the Capitalist bloc led by the United States. Vietnam’s neighboring country, Cambodia, was positioning as neutral, non-allied to any bloc, yet after the coup to overthrow Prince Sihanouk in 1970, Cambodia declared taking side with Capitalist bloc fighting against the North Vietnamese government which sided with the Communists led by the Soviet Union. This paper will figure out the driving causes which drove Cambodia to shift its neutral position to be sided with the United State-led Capitalist bloc pushing the country deeply into the war causing serious tragedy in Cambodia’s history.