72 killed 11 killed 7 vehicles destroyed
105-1039: Cedar Falls may refer to: Operation Cedar Falls , ground operation of the Vietnam War Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls Utilities in Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls Community School District in Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls Historical Society in Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls High School in Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls Ice House in Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls Independent Order of Odd Fellows Temple in Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls Township, Black Hawk County, Iowa Waterloo – Cedar Falls metropolitan area , Iowa Cedar Falls, North Carolina Cedar Rock Falls , North Carolina Cedar Falls, Washington Cedar Falls Historic District in Washington Cedar Falls, Wisconsin Cedar Falls,
210-640: A Devaraja . They and their followers instituted the cult of the God-king and began a series of conquests that formed an empire which flourished in the area from the 9th to the 15th centuries. During the rule of Jayavarman VIII the Angkor empire was attacked by the Mongol army of Kublai Khan ; the king was able to buy peace. Around the 13th century, Theravada missionaries from Sri Lanka reintroduced Theravada Buddhism to Southeast Asia, having sent missionaries previously in
315-579: A pro-Soviet state led by the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party, a party created by the Vietnamese in 1951, and led by a group of Khmer Rouge who had fled Cambodia to avoid being purged by Pol Pot and Ta Mok . It was fully beholden to the occupying Vietnamese army and under the direction of the Vietnamese ambassador to Phnom Penh. Its arms came from Vietnam and the Soviet Union. In opposition to
420-703: A waterfall in Montana Cedar Falls, a waterfall in the Hocking Hills State Park , Ohio Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Cedar Falls . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cedar_Falls&oldid=1006634774 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
525-817: A 10th-century inscription of a Cambodian dynastic legend in which the hermit Kambu Swayambhuva and the celestial nymph Mera unite and establish the Cambodian Solar royal dynasty (Kambu-Mera), that begins with the Chenla ruler Srutavarman and his son Sreshthavarman . Coedes suggests that the Kambu Swayambhuva legend has its origins in southern India, as a version of the Kanchi Pallava dynasty creation myth. Colloquially, Cambodians refer to their country as either Srok Khmer ( ស្រុកខ្មែរ Srŏk Khmêr , pronounced [srok kʰmae] ; meaning "Land of
630-452: A brief interruption during while the kingdom was occupied by the Japanese empire from 1941 to 1945 and simultaneously existing as the puppet state of Kingdom of Kampuchea in 1945. Between 1874 and 1962, the total population increased from about 946,000 to 5.7 million. After King Norodom's death in 1904, France manipulated the choice of king and Sisowath, Norodom's brother, was placed on
735-735: A campaign aimed at destroying NVA base areas in Cambodia (see Cambodian Incursion ). On New Year's Day 1975, Communist troops launched an offensive which, in 117 days, led to the collapse of the Khmer Republic. Simultaneous attacks around the perimeter of Phnom Penh pinned down Republican forces, while other CPK units overran fire bases controlling the vital lower Mekong resupply route. A US-funded airlift of ammunition and rice ended when Congress refused additional aid for Cambodia. The Lon Nol government in Phnom Penh surrendered on 17 April 1975, 5 days after
840-480: A dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation . Agriculture remains the dominant economic sector, with growth in textiles, construction, garments, and tourism leading to increased foreign investment and international trade. It is among the most vulnerable countries to climate change . The Kingdom of Cambodia is the official English name of the country. The English Cambodia
945-485: A press conference was held and Sihanouk appealed to the international media: "I appeal to you to publicise abroad this very clear stand of Cambodia—that is, I will, in any case, oppose all bombings on Cambodian territory under whatever pretext." Nevertheless, the public pleas of Sihanouk were ignored and the bombing continued. While visiting Beijing in 1970 Sihanouk was ousted by a military coup led by Prime Minister General Lon Nol and Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak . Once
1050-480: A result, the surprised inhabitants of Phu Loi were forced to house the deportees from Ben Suc in their already jammed dwellings. With phase I largely completed, US forces initiated phase II. Following saturation bombing and artillery fire, elements of the 1st Infantry Division along with the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment began their massive thrust into the Iron Triangle first cutting
1155-543: A serious blow to the VC, communist forces swiftly reestablished their dominant position in the Iron Triangle. Moreover, the saturation bombing and artillery fire as well as the forced deportation of 6,000 civilians are considered tactics which, in addition to being morally highly questionable, were militarily counterproductive as well. While writing from completely different, if not opposed, political points of view, both journalist Stanley Karnow and political scientist Guenter Lewy cite
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#17328440929801260-548: A social structure and labour organization. Kinds of glass beads recovered from sites, such as the Phum Snay site in the northwest and the Prohear site in the southeast, suggest that there were two main trading networks at the time. The two networks were separated by time and space, which indicate that there was a shift from one network to the other at about the 2nd–4th century AD, probably due to changes in socio-political powers. During
1365-582: Is an anglicisation of the French Cambodge , which in turn is the French transliteration of the Khmer កម្ពុជា ( Kâmpŭchéa , pronounced [kampuciə] ). Kâmpŭchéa is the shortened alternative to the country's official name in Khmer ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា ( Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchéa , pronounced [preah riəciənaːcak kampuciə] . The Khmer endonym កម្ពុជា Kâmpŭchéa derives from
1470-741: Is characterised by a low-lying central plain that is surrounded by uplands and low mountains and includes the Tonle Sap (Great Lake) and the upper reaches of the Mekong River delta. Extending outward from this central region are transitional plains, thinly forested and rising to elevations of about 650 feet (200 metres) above sea level . In Cambodia forest cover is around 46% of the total land area, equivalent to 8,068,370 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 11,004,790 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 7,464,400 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 603,970 hectares (ha). Of
1575-420: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Operation Cedar Falls American intervention 1965 1966 1967 Tet Offensive and aftermath Vietnamization 1969–1971 1972 Post- Paris Peace Accords (1973–1974) Spring 1975 Air operations Naval operations Lists of allied operations Operation Cedar Falls
1680-451: Is isolated from the central plain by the southwestern highlands. The most distinctive geographical feature is the inundations of the Tonle Sap, measuring about 2,590 square kilometres (1,000 square miles) during the dry season and expanding to about 24,605 square kilometres (9,500 square miles) during the rainy season. This densely populated plain, which is devoted to wet rice cultivation, is
1785-463: Is one of the few authors who sees it as part of a meaningful broader strategy. While he concedes that Cedar Falls missed some of its short-term goals, he holds that, along with its follow-up Operation Junction City, it had beneficial long term strategic consequences: It dealt a serious blow to the North Vietnamese strategy of protracted guerilla warfare by permanently driving the VC's main force from
1890-411: The 2020 Pacific typhoon season . Cambodia's biodiversity is largely founded on its seasonal tropical forests , containing some 180 recorded tree species , and riparian ecosystems. There are 212 mammal species, 536 bird species, 240 reptile species, 850 freshwater fish species ( Tonle Sap Lake area), and 435 marine fish species recorded by science. Much of this biodiversity is contained around
1995-753: The Cambodian People's Party (CPP). While constitutionally a multi-party state, CPP dominates the political system and dissolved its main opposition party in 2017, making it a de facto one-party state . The UN now designates it a least developed country . Cambodia is a member of the United Nations , ASEAN , the RCEP , the East Asia Summit , the WTO , the Non-Aligned Movement and La Francophonie , and
2100-521: The Cambodian–Vietnamese War . The Vietnamese-occupied People's Republic of Kampuchea became the de facto government. Following the 1991 Paris Peace Accords which formally ended the war with Vietnam , Cambodia was governed by a United Nations mission (1992–93). The UN withdrew after the 1993 Cambodian general election , decided by around 90% of registered voters. The 1997 coup d'état consolidated power under Prime Minister Hun Sen and
2205-503: The Chieu Hoi ("open-arms") program; an additional 512 suspects were detained and almost 6,000 individuals were deported. Moreover, allied forces captured 23 crew-served weapons , 590 individual weapons , over 2,800 explosive items, 60,000 rounds of small arms ammunition, and enough rice to feed 13,000 troops for an entire year. Also, large numbers of enemy documents were obtained, and a massive complex of tunnels, bunkers, and other structures
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#17328440929802310-566: The Gulf of Thailand and Indian Ocean from May to October. The northeast monsoon ushers in the dry season, which lasts from November to April. The country experiences the heaviest precipitation from September to October with the driest period occurring from January to February. According to the International Development Research Center and The United Nations , Cambodia is considered Southeast Asia's most vulnerable country to
2415-468: The Indochinese Peninsula . It borders Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline along the Gulf of Thailand in the southwest. It spans an area of 181,035 square kilometres (69,898 square miles ), and has a population of about 17 million. Its capital and most populous city is Phnom Penh . In 802 AD, Jayavarman II declared himself king, uniting
2520-763: The Japanese occupation of Cambodia during the Second World War, it gained independence in 1953. The Vietnam War extended into the country in 1965 via the Ho Chi Minh and Sihanouk trails . A 1970 coup installed the US-aligned Khmer Republic , which was overthrown by the Khmer Rouge in 1975. The Khmer Rouge ruled the country and carried out the Cambodian genocide from 1975 until 1979, when they were ousted in
2625-591: The Khmer Rouge Tribunal sought out to investigate crimes committed during the Democratic Kampuchea period and prosecute its leaders. Hun Sen has opposed extensive trials or investigations of former Khmer Rouge officials. In July 2010, Kang Kek Iew was the first Khmer Rouge member found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity in his role as the former commandant of the S21 extermination camp and he
2730-599: The Krâvanh Mountains and the Dâmrei Mountains , form another highland region that covers much of the land area between the Tonle Sap and the Gulf of Thailand . In this remote and largely uninhabited area, Phnom Aural , Cambodia's highest peak rises to an elevation of 5,949 feet (1,813 metres). The southern coastal region adjoining the Gulf of Thailand is a narrow lowland strip, heavily wooded and sparsely populated, which
2835-649: The Tonlé Sap in recent years, affecting the food security and agriculture of a large proportion of Cambodia's population. Cambodia has two distinct seasons. The rainy season, which runs from May to October, can see temperatures drop to 22 °C (72 °F) and is generally accompanied with high humidity. The dry season lasts from November to April when temperatures can rise up to 40 °C (104 °F) around April. Disastrous flooding occurred in 2001 and again in 2002, with some degree of flooding almost every year. Severe flooding also affected 17 provinces in Cambodia during
2940-462: The monarchy was restored with Norodom Sihanouk reinstated as King, and the first post-war election was coordinated by UNTAC . The election was won by FUNCINPEC led by Sihanouk's son Ranariddh in a hung parliament . A power-sharing agreement was agreed with Ranariddh and Hun Sen of the Cambodian People's Party both simultaneously being co-Prime Ministers after the CPP threatened to secede part of
3045-554: The next general election in 2023 . In October 2022, Hun Sen warned CPP members that the country's newest and largest opposition party, the Candlelight Party , may be dissolved before the 2023 general election. The warning comes after a June 2022 lawsuit filed by the National Election Committee against the party's deputy president, Son Chhay , accusing him of defamation by speaking out against electoral fraud by
3150-430: The red soils near Memot and in the adjacent region of Vietnam in the latter 1950s. Their function and age are still debated, and some of them possibly date from the second millennium BC. Other prehistoric sites of somewhat uncertain date are Samrong Sen (not far from the ancient capital of Oudong ), where the first investigations began in 1875, and Phum Snay , in the northern province of Banteay Meanchey . Iron
3255-456: The yellow star " as they were seen as a sign of intellectualism. Religious institutions were targeted by the Khmer Rouge. The majority of Khmer architecture , 95% of Cambodia's Buddhist temples, were destroyed. In November 1978, Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia in response to border raids by the Khmer Rouge and conquered it. The People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) was established as
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3360-536: The 1190s. The religion spread and eventually displaced Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism as the popular religion of Angkor; it was not the official state religion until 1295 when Indravarman III took power. The Khmer Empire was Southeast Asia's largest empire during the 12th century. The empire's centre of power was Angkor , where a series of capitals were constructed during the empire's zenith. In 2007 an international team of researchers using satellite photographs and other modern techniques concluded that Angkor had been
3465-581: The 1st Infantry Division, noted a "complete breakdown in confidence and morale on the part of the VC" and called Cedar Falls a "decisive turning point in the III Corps area; a tremendous boost of morale of the Vietnamese Government and Army; and a blow from which the VC in this area may never recover." In the literature on the Vietnam War, Cedar Falls is evaluated much more negatively. Phillip Davidson
3570-615: The 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries, the Indianised states of Funan and its successor, Chenla , coalesced in what later is Cambodia and southwestern Vietnam. For more than 2,000 years, what was to become Cambodia absorbed influences from India , passing them on to other Southeast Asian civilisations that later became Thailand and Laos. The Khmer Empire grew out of the remnants of Chenla, becoming firmly established in 802 when Jayavarman II (reigned c. 790 – c. 835 ) declared independence from Java and proclaimed themselves
3675-471: The ARVN outpost was overrun and the area was declared a liberated zone, with the VC establishing its own governing apparatus. Ben Suc was described by Jonathan Schell as an important marketplace town for the region with a population of 3500, and a refuge point for people fleeing from continual combat operations and US/ARVN aerial and artillery nearby. The area was located in proximity to several free-fire zone , and
3780-547: The American War in Vietnam involving the equivalent of three US divisions, some 30,000 US and South Vietnamese troops. The US units involved were the 1st and 25th Infantry Division , the 196th Infantry Brigade , the 173rd Airborne Brigade , as well as the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment . Throughout the operation these units were supposed to bear the brunt of the fighting; South Vietnamese troops were planned to search villages in
3885-504: The CPP. A July 2023 Human Rights Watch report showed numerous and significant election fraud and vote tampering in the June 2022 commune elections. In the July 2023 election , the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) easily won by a landslide in a flawed election, after the disqualification of Cambodia's most important opposition, Candlelight Party . On 22 August 2023, Hun Manet was sworn in as
3990-555: The Cambodian conflict was largely between the government and army of Cambodia, and the armed forces of North Vietnam. As they gained control of Cambodian territory, the Vietnamese communists imposed a new political infrastructure, which was eventually dominated by the Cambodian communists now referred to as the Khmer Rouge. Documents uncovered from the Soviet archives after 1991 reveal that the North Vietnamese attempt to overrun Cambodia in 1970
4095-495: The Iron Triangle's location, shape, and the scope of VC activity there, it had been called a "dagger pointed at the heart of Saigon." Westmoreland agreed and so it was decided that Operation Junction City was to be preceded by Operation Cedar Falls. Since earlier efforts to clear the VC from the Iron Triangle had failed, Operation Cedar Falls was intended to achieve nothing less than its complete eradication as an enemy sanctuary and base of operations. Therefore, Operation Cedar Falls
4200-511: The Iron Triangle, along the Saigon River, while one brigade of the 1st Infantry Division was assigned the same task along the Thi Tinh River east of the area of operations. The remaining units were then supposed to "hammer" the VC against this "anvil" by rapidly moving through the Iron Triangle, scouring it for enemy troops and installations, and clearing it of civilians. A tight encirclement of
4305-590: The Khmers"), or the slightly more formal ប្រទេសកម្ពុជា ( Prâtés Kâmpŭchéa , pronounced [prɑteh kampuciə] ; "Country of Kampuchea"). The name Cambodia is used most often in the Western world while Kampuchea is more widely used in the Eastern world. There exists evidence for a Pleistocene human occupation of what later is Cambodia, which includes quartz and quartzite pebble tools found in terraces along
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4410-720: The Mekong River, in Stung Treng and Kratié provinces, and in Kampot Province . Some archaeological evidence shows communities of hunter-gatherers inhabited the region during the Holocene : the most ancient archaeological discovery site in Cambodia is considered to be the cave of Laang Spean , which belongs to the Hoabinhian period. Excavations in its lower layers produced a series of radiocarbon dates around 6000 BC. Upper layers in
4515-490: The North Vietnamese Army, they established sanctuaries immune to US attacks. In fact, as Davidson also acknowledged, they had demonstrated the capability of recovering and returning to the area within just a few days. Most authors, though, focus on the short-term outcome of the operation. They argue that, for all its impressive statistics, Operation Cedar Falls failed to achieve its primary goal: Whereas it did deal
4620-565: The Sanskrit name कम्बोजदेश Kambojadeśa , composed of देश Deśa ("land of" or "country of") and कम्बोज ( Kamboja ), referring to the descendants of Kambu (a legendary Indian sage from the ancient Indian kingdom of Kamboja ). The term Cambodia was already in use in Europe as early as 1524, since Antonio Pigafetta cites it in his work Relazione del primo viaggio intorno al mondo (1524–1525) as Camogia . Scholar George Coedes refers to
4725-673: The Siamese (Thai), the Annamites (Vietnamese), and the Cambodians". Formerly part of the Khmer Empire, the Mekong Delta had been controlled by the Vietnamese since 1698, with King Chey Chettha II granting the Vietnamese permission to settle in the area decades before. In 1863, King Norodom signed a treaty of protection with France. The protectorate of France period lasted until 1953, with
4830-624: The US mission evacuated Cambodia. Estimates as to how many people were killed by the Khmer Rouge regime range from approximately 1 to 3 million; a cited figure is 2 million (about a quarter of the population). This era gave rise to the term Killing Fields , and the prison Tuol Sleng became known for its history of mass killing. Hundreds of thousands fled across the border into neighbouring Thailand. The regime disproportionately targeted ethnic minority groups. The Cham Muslims underwent purges with as much as half of their population exterminated. Pol Pot
4935-455: The Viet Cong's tunnel systems. In an attempt at the permanent destruction of the Iron Triangle as a VC stronghold, Operation Cedar Falls also entailed the complete deportation of the region's civilian population to so-called New Life Villages , the destruction of their homes, and the defoliation of whole areas. Following this, the area was declared a free-fire zone and adults who were found in
5040-436: The anvil. On D-day, finally, elements of the 1st Infantry Division's 2d Brigade commenced the planned air assault on the village of Ben Suc. Ben Suc was the main pillar of the VC's dominance over the Iron Triangle. This fortified village functioned as a major supply and political center with its population organized as rear service companies. Achieving complete tactical surprise, American forces were able to encircle and seal off
5145-462: The area into half and then conducting a thorough search which covered the entire area of responsibility as Seaman had demanded. Meanwhile, the blocking forces of the 25th Infantry Division and of the attached 196th Infantry Brigade conducted search and destroy operations west of the Saigon River and sealed the river itself by patrolling it on open boats. However, this massive military punch largely encountered air. Perhaps forewarned or anticipating
5250-479: The area was to prevent communist units from retreating. Operation Cedar Falls was scheduled to begin on 5 January 1967, when weather conditions were most favorable. It was divided into two distinct phases. During preparatory phase I, 5-9 January, the "anvil" was set up by positioning the relevant units along the Iron Triangle's flank, and an air assault on Ben Suc, a key fortified VC village, was to take place on 8 January (D-day). These operations were to be succeeded by
5355-454: The area was, according to an official US report, "literally crawling with what appeared to be Vietcong." Only a year after the termination of Operation Cedar Falls, the VC used this area as a staging ground for their attacks on Saigon during the 1968 Tet Offensive . Moreover, both inside the Iron Triangle as well as in the relocation camps, to which the inhabitants of Ben Suc were deported, measures such as saturation bombing and in particular
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#17328440929805460-474: The assault on villages around Ben Suc, villagers not explicitly following ARVN orders to amass for evacuation were to be declared VC. He was told of the shooting of unarmed individuals include a man riding his bicycle too quickly past a patrol, a woman carrying surgical and medical supplies allegedly wearing VC uniform, three civilians crossing on a rafter, whom were all subsequently declared as VC, with US forces not discerning whether they were combatants or not. In
5565-594: The attack, the VC had chosen to evade allied forces by either fleeing across the border into Cambodia or hiding in complex underground systems. As a result, one of the largest military ground operations since the Korean War and the single largest ground operation of the War in Vietnam was characterized by skirmishes and other small unit actions rather than large-scale combat. Allied troops were overwhelmingly engaged in extensive searches and patrolling during daytime and ambushing during
5670-638: The broader strategic aims which MACV , the United States' unified command structure for its military forces in South Vietnam, had formulated for 1967. Following the war's earlier stages, in which the insertion of major US ground troops had averted the collapse of the South Vietnamese regime and during which the Americans had built up their forces, COMUSMACV General William C. Westmoreland planned to go on
5775-405: The completion of the area's encirclement as well as a concerted drive of American forces through the Iron Triangle (the "hammer") from both the south and the west in phase II. Starting on 5 January, blocking forces assumed their positions to south of the Iron Triangle along the Saigon River (the 25th Infantry Division and the 196th Infantry Brigade) and east of it (1st Infantry Division) to set up
5880-510: The country if power was fully transferred to FUNCINPEC. The stability established following the conflict was shaken in 1997 by a coup d'état led by the co-Prime Minister Hun Sen, who ousted Ranariddh and other parties represented in the government and consolidated power for CPP. After its government was able to stabilize under Sen, Cambodia was accepted into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on 30 April 1999. Norodom Sihamoni
5985-501: The coup was completed, the new regime, which demanded that the Vietnamese communists leave Cambodia, gained the political support of the United States. The North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces, desperate to retain their sanctuaries and supply lines from North Vietnam, launched armed attacks on the new government. The king urged his followers to help in overthrowing this government, hastening the onset of civil war . Khmer Rouge rebels began using him to gain support. From 1970 until 1972,
6090-521: The deportation of the civilian population caused tremendous resentment. Following Cedar Fall's termination, the VC thus returned to an area in which local peasants were more hostile of the allies and more supportive of the VC than they had been prior to the occupation. Senior US commanders involved in Operation Cedar Falls were convinced that this operation had been an unqualified success. According to Gen. Rogers, Gen. Westmoreland thought that it
6195-579: The deportations of Operation Cedar Falls as an example of a larger military strategy which deliberately displaced hundreds of thousands of the very people the US claimed to defend and thus alienated them from the South Vietnamese regime and their American allies. Some authors therefore see Operation Cedar Falls as a prime example of what they consider as the fundamental misconceptions of America's military commitment in Southeast Asia as well as of
6300-551: The disease's spread for much of 2020 the country's health system was put under strain by a major outbreak in early 2021, which prompted several lockdowns . It also had a severe economic impact, with the tourism industry particularly affected due to international travel restrictions . Prime Minister Hun Sen assumed office 39 years ago and is one of the world's longest-serving leaders . He has been accused of crackdowns on opponents and critics. In December 2021, Hun Sen announced his support for his son Hun Manet to succeed him after
6405-455: The effects of climate change, alongside the Philippines. Nearly all provinces in Cambodia are affected by climate change . Rural coastal populations are particularly at risk. Shortages of clean water , extreme flooding, mudslides, higher sea levels and potentially destructive storms are of particular concern, according to the Cambodia Climate Change Alliance. Climate change has also had a major impact on water levels, ecology and productivity of
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#17328440929806510-418: The first time in the war. After having been searched, tunnel complexes were destroyed using a combination of acetylene gas and conventional demolition charges. A significant part of Operation Cedar Falls was also characterized by large-scale combat engineering and chemical operations. Tankdozers , bulldozers , and Rome plows were used in so-called jungle-clearing operations in which enemy held terrain
6615-493: The following year. The protests ended after a crackdown by government forces. The Cambodia National Rescue Party was dissolved ahead of the 2018 Cambodian general election and the ruling Cambodian People's Party also enacted tighter curbs on mass media . The CPP won every seat in the National Assembly without major opposition, effectively solidifying de facto one-party rule in the country. The global COVID-19 pandemic spread to Cambodia in early 2020. Despite minimising
6720-505: The forced evacuation of Ben Suc, inhabitants were "moved as humanely as possible", were allowed to take their possessions and livestock with them, and were even given medical treatment. However, he concedes that "It was to be expected that uprooting the natives of these villages would evoke resentment, and it did"; he goes on to describe the "sight of the natives of Ben Suc with their carts, chickens, hogs, rice" as "pathetic and pitiful." Moreover, he reports grave difficulties occurring during
6825-420: The harsh treatment of the civilian population was both morally questionable and detrimental to the US effort to win Vietnamese hearts and minds and drove many into the ranks of the VC instead. Therefore, some authors cite Operation Cedar Falls as a major example for the misconceptions of the US strategy in Vietnam and for its morally troublesome consequences. The planning for Operation Cedar Falls evolved out of
6930-456: The heartland of Cambodia. Much of this area has been designated as a biosphere reserve . Cambodia's climate, like that of the rest of Southeast Asia, is dominated by monsoons , which are known as tropical wet and dry because of the distinctly marked seasonal differences. Cambodia has a temperature range from 21 to 35 °C (70 to 95 °F) and experiences tropical monsoons. Southwest monsoons blow inland bringing moisture-laden winds from
7035-437: The inhabitants' resettlement to the village of Phu Loi . He quotes Gen. Westmoreland as having said "Unfortunately, the resettlement phase was not as well planned or executed as the actual evacuation. For the first several days the families suffered unnecessary hardships." When interviewed more than fifteen years later, one resident of the village recalled how they were not allowed to take anything from their homes, and how, from
7140-450: The largest pre-industrial city in the world with an urban sprawl of 2,980 square kilometres (1,151 square miles). The city could have supported a population of up to 1 million people. After a series of wars with neighbouring kingdoms, Angkor was sacked by the Ayutthaya Kingdom and abandoned in 1432 because of ecological failure and infrastructure breakdown. The hill tribe people were "hunted incessantly and carried off as slaves by
7245-424: The moral ambiguities or even outright atrocities caused by it; one author even cites the operation as an example of how not to wage an asymmetric war. [REDACTED] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History . Cambodia Cambodia , officially the Kingdom of Cambodia , is a country in Southeast Asia on
7350-436: The more populated areas and across the Cambodian border. This conclusion, however, is contested by Shelby L. Stanton , who noted the same effect as Davidson but interpreted it as detrimental to the American military strategy. Instead of driving the VC into a more "vulnerable posture", as had been intended by MACV, they were in fact driven into Cambodia and hence into a region beyond the allied forces' reach where, together with
7455-447: The naturally regenerating forest 4% was reported to be primary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity). For the year 2015, 100% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership . To the north the Cambodian plain abuts a sandstone escarpment, which forms a southward-facing cliff stretching more than 200 miles (320 kilometres) from west to east and rising abruptly above
7560-423: The new Cambodian prime minister. Cambodia has an area of 181,035 square kilometres (69,898 square miles) and lies entirely within the tropics, between latitudes 10° and 15°N , and longitudes 102° and 108°E . It borders Thailand to the north and west, Laos to the northeast, and Vietnam to the east and southeast. It has a 443-kilometre (275-mile) coastline along the Gulf of Thailand . Cambodia's landscape
7665-635: The newly created state, a government-in-exile referred to as the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea (CGDK) was formed in 1981 from 3 factions. This consisted of the Khmer Rouge, a royalist faction led by Sihanouk, and the Khmer People's National Liberation Front . Its credentials were recognised by the United Nations. The Khmer Rouge representative to UN, Thiounn Prasith, was retained, and he had to work in consultation with representatives of
7770-462: The night; casualties were suffered primarily from sniper fire, land mines , and booby traps . While allied forces thus failed to search and destroy significant contingents of enemy forces, they did manage to uncover parts of the VC's complex tunnel system where large amounts of VC supplies and documents were found. In order to infiltrate these vast underground complexes, the US military used specifically trained teams (so-called " tunnel rats ") for
7875-674: The noncommunist Cambodian parties. The refusal of Vietnam to withdraw from Cambodia led to economic sanctions . Peace efforts began in Paris in 1989 under the State of Cambodia , culminating 2 years later in October 1991 in a Paris Comprehensive Peace Settlement . The UN was given a mandate to enforce a ceasefire and deal with refugees and disarmament known as the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC). In 1993,
7980-462: The offensive during 1967. In particular, he planned to clear major North Vietnamese or VC strongholds and to push communist forces into South Vietnam's lightly populated border regions where US forces would be able to make more lavish use of their firepower. The town of Ben Suc was located in a central area of the Iron Triangle and politically controlled by the VC. Prior to 1964, the town was ostensibly neutral, with both ARVN and VC presence. In 1964
8085-435: The operation was to destroy large parts of the vegetation through defoliants and bulldozers in order to make the Iron Triangle more easily accessible for future operations. Operation Cedar Falls was planned as a " hammer and anvil " operation. Under the cloak of deceptive deployments on seemingly routine operations, the 25th Infantry Division with the 196th Infantry Brigade attached to it was to assume blocking positions west of
8190-483: The operation. Altogether, it involved 30,000 US and South Vietnamese troops. The VC, however, chose to evade the massive military force by fleeing across the border to Cambodia or by hiding in a complex system of tunnels. Still, the Allied forces uncovered and destroyed some of the tunnel complexes as well as large stockpiles of VC supplies. In the course of the operation, so-called tunnel rats were introduced to infiltrate
8295-533: The plain to heights of 600 to 1,800 feet (180–550 metres). This cliff marks the southern limit of the Dângrêk Mountains . Flowing south through Cambodia's eastern regions is the Mekong River. East of the Mekong the transitional plains gradually merge with the eastern highlands, a region of forested mountains and high plateaus that extend into Laos and Vietnam. In southwestern Cambodia two distinct upland blocks,
8400-441: The region, perform logistical tasks, as well as organizing the deportation of the civilian population. As often during the Vietnam War, the terrain of the area of operations constituted a major problem for military planners. Indeed, the reason why the VC were able to establish the Iron Triangle as a major sanctuary was that its terrain made it difficult for larger military forces to access this region. Therefore, another major aim of
8505-466: The same site gave evidence of transition to Neolithic , containing the earliest dated earthenware ceramics in Cambodia. Archaeological records for the period between the Holocene and Iron Age remain equally limited. An event in prehistory was the penetration of the first rice farmers from the north, which began in the third millennium BC. Prehistoric evidence are the "circular earthworks " discovered in
8610-721: The so-called "Iron Triangle". This was the nickname for an area of approximately 155 square kilometers located some 20 kilometers north of Saigon which, being bounded by the Saigon River to the southwest, Than Dien Forest to the north, and the Thi Tinh River to the east, had a roughly triangular shape. Virtually since the beginning of the Second Indochinese War , this area had become a major VC staging ground and rear area which, by 1966, South Vietnamese government officials or military forces had not dared to enter in years. Due to
8715-509: The throne. The throne became vacant in 1941 with the death of Monivong, Sisowath's son, and France passed over Monivong's son, Monireth, feeling he was too independently minded. Instead, Norodom Sihanouk , a maternal grandson of King Sisowath was enthroned. The French thought young Sihanouk would be easy to control. Under the reign of King Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodia gained independence from France on 9 November 1953. In 1955, Sihanouk abdicated in favour of his father to participate in politics and
8820-419: The very start of Operation Cedar Falls, the army killed villagers. Journalist Jonathan Schell , who wrote an extensive article on Operation Cedar Falls for The New Yorker , confirms the government's assessments. Those South Vietnamese officials, who were charged with the relocation of the villagers, were not informed of their task to organize a refugee camp until 24 hours before the forced evacuation began. As
8925-409: The village against only light resistance. A South Vietnamese battalion was then flown in to search the village and interrogate its inhabitants. As a result of these actions, a complex tunnel and storage system was uncovered and large quantities of supplies were obtained and later destroyed. The allied forces, however, were able to arrest only lower ranking VC military or political personnel. Following
9030-491: The village was surrounded by the daily presence of bombardment in nearby hills and forests and occasional bombardment from US forces. On Westmoreland's order, Lieutenant General Jonathan O. Seaman , Commanding General, II Field Force, Vietnam , began planning for an operation code named Operation Junction City aimed at disrupting VC control of War Zone C. When the strength of Gen. Seaman's troops built up, however, he suggested to additionally target another major VC stronghold:
9135-420: The village's buildings to the ground and then leveled their remnants as well as the surrounding vegetation using bulldozers. In order to collapse tunnels too deep for the demolition teams to find and crush, the village was then subjected to heavy air bombardment. Gen. Bernard William Rogers , who served as assistant division commander of the 1st Infantry Division during Operation Cedar Falls, notes that, during
9240-418: The village's screening, 106 villagers were detained; the remaining inhabitants of Ben Suc and of surrounding villages, some 6,000 individuals, two-thirds of them children, were deported, along with their belongings and live stock, in trucks, river boats and helicopters to relocation camps. After the deportation of the village's population, Ben Suc was systematically erased by American engineers who first burned
9345-426: The villages of Rach Kien, Bung Cong, and Rach Bap, all were declared free-fire zones as villagers were declared VC and hostile civilians captured were classified as Chieu Hoi or detainees. Even though the VC suffered a serious setback, its members swiftly managed to reestablish their domination over the Iron Triangle. Two days after the operation's termination, VC forces reentered the Iron Triangle, and within ten days
9450-615: The warring Khmer princes of Chenla under the name "Kambuja". This marked the beginning of the Khmer Empire . The Indianised kingdom facilitated the spread of first Hinduism and then Buddhism to Southeast Asia and undertook religious infrastructural projects throughout the region. In the 15th century, it began a decline in power (the Post-Angkor Period ) until, in 1863, it became the French Protectorate of Cambodia . After
9555-422: The zone following deportations were considered "enemy combatants" afterwards. Most senior officers involved in planning and executing the operation later evaluated it as a success. Most journalists and military historians, however, paint a bleaker picture. They argue that Cedar Falls failed to achieve its main goal since the VC's setback in the Iron Triangle proved to be only temporary. Moreover, critics argue that
9660-522: Was "very impressive in its results". Summarizing the effects on the enemy, II Field Force commander Gen. Seaman argued that the enemy's offensive capabilities had been disrupted. Moreover, he predicted that the losses suffered by the VC would have a "serious psychological impact" on "the VC-dominated populace" and that they now would have to "re-evaluate the relative capabilities of their forces as opposed to ours." General William DePuy , then commander of
9765-643: Was a military operation of the Vietnam War conducted primarily by US forces that took place from 8 to 26 January 1967. The aim of the massive search-and-destroy operation was to eradicate the Iron Triangle , an area northwest of Saigon that had become a major stronghold of the Viet Cong (VC). It was the largest American ground operation of the Vietnam war: two Army divisions, one infantry and one paratrooper brigade, and one armored cavalry regiment participated in
9870-509: Was a principal aim of Operation Cedar Falls. Moreover, the 272d Regiment, the 1st and 7th Battalions of Military Region IV under the VC 165th Regiment, the Phu Loi Local Force Battalion, plus three local force companies, as well as the 2d, 3d, and 8th Battalions of the 165th Regiment were suspected to operate in the Iron Triangle. To strike against this enemy force, II Field Force organized the single largest ground operation of
9975-444: Was cleared of its vegetation in order to conduct search-and-destroy operations and to destroy enemy installments. Chemicals were used to defoliate parts of the area and to contaminate enemy rice supplies which American forces were unable to remove. Operation Cedar Falls was officially terminated on 26 January 1967. The American military claimed that in its course almost 750 VC were killed, 280 were taken prisoner, and 540 defected in
10080-567: Was crowned Cambodia's king in 2004 after his father Sihanouk's abdication. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, reconstruction efforts progressed which led to some political stability through a multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy although Sen's rule has been marred by human rights abuses and corruption . Cambodia's economy grew rapidly in the 2000s and 2010s, and it received considerable investment and infrastructure development support from China as part of its Belt and Road Initiative . A UN-backed war crimes tribunal,
10185-479: Was destroyed. Some 100 bunkers , 25 tunnels, and over 500 structures were destroyed. Finally, in order to deny the VC cover and make future penetrations of the area simpler, eleven square kilometers of jungle were cleared. In comparison, Allied losses were light. US forces lost 72 killed and 337 wounded, while South Vietnamese casualties amounted to 11 killed and 8 wounded. U.S. equipment lost included two tanks and five armored personnel carriers destroyed; damage
10290-623: Was determined to keep his power and disenfranchise any enemies or potential threats, and thus increased his violent and aggressive actions against his people. Forced repatriation in 1970 and deaths during the Khmer Rouge era reduced the Vietnamese population in Cambodia from between 250,000 and 300,000 in 1969 to a reported 56,000 in 1984. Most of the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime were not ethnic minorities but ethnic Khmer. Professionals, such as doctors, lawyers and teachers, were targeted. According to Robert D. Kaplan , "eyeglasses were as deadly as
10395-509: Was elected prime minister. Upon his father's death in 1960, Sihanouk again became head of state, taking the title of prince. As the Vietnam War progressed, Sihanouk adopted an official policy of neutrality in the Cold War . Sihanouk allowed the Vietnamese communists to use Cambodia as a sanctuary and a supply route for their arms and other aid to their armed forces fighting in South Vietnam. In December 1967 Washington Post journalist Stanley Karnow
10500-472: Was launched at the explicit request of the Khmer Rouge and negotiated by Pol Pot 's then second in command, Nuon Chea . NVA units overran Cambodian army positions while the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) expanded their attacks on lines of communication. In response to the North Vietnamese invasion, US President Richard Nixon announced that US and South Vietnamese ground forces had entered Cambodia in
10605-482: Was sentenced to life in prison. In August 2014, the tribunal sentenced Khieu Samphan , the regime's 83-year-old former head of state, and Nuon Chea , its 88-year-old chief ideologue, to life in prison on war crimes charges for their role in the country's terror period in the 1970s. After the 2013 Cambodian general election , allegations of voter fraud from opposition party Cambodia National Rescue Party led to widespread anti-government protests that continued into
10710-428: Was sustained by three tanks, nine APC's, one tankdozer , two jeeps and two light observation helicopters. The VC claimed to have inflicted more than 3,000 casualties on the Allied units and forced the operation to a halt. Whether these casualty figures were solely enemy combatants during this operation is questioned by first-hand observer and embedded journalist Jonathan Schell, writing for The New Yorker . During
10815-399: Was to involve not only an assault on regular VC forces and their infrastructure, but also the deportation of the area's entire civilian population, the complete destruction of their homes, the area's defoliation, and its categorization as a free-fire zone . American intelligence indicated that the VC's Military Region IV headquarters were located in the Iron Triangle; their destruction thus
10920-476: Was told by Sihanouk that if the US wanted to bomb the Vietnamese communist sanctuaries, he would not object unless Cambodians were killed. The same message was conveyed to US President Johnson's emissary Chester Bowles in January 1968. In public Sihanouk refuted the right of the U.S. to use air strikes in Cambodia, and on 26 March he said "these criminal attacks must immediately and definitively stop". On 28 March
11025-458: Was worked by about 500 BC, with supporting evidence coming from the Khorat Plateau , in what later is Thailand. In Cambodia, some Iron Age settlements were found beneath Baksei Chamkrong and other Angkorian temples while circular earthworks were discovered at the site of Lovea kilometres north-west of Angkor. Burials testify to improvement of food availability and trade, and the existence of
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