Nixon approved secret bombings of suspected communist base camps and supply zones in cambodia as part of “operation menu” in march 1969. The New York Times revealed the operation to the public on May 9, 1969 when it published a front-page story titled “Nixon Orders Cambodia Bombing.”
The article described the bombing as a “pre-emptive strike” against the communist Khmer Rouge, which had taken control of the country in The bombing was carried out by the U.S. Air Force, the CIA, and the Royal Thai Army. It was the first time the United States had bombed Cambodia since the end of World War II.
The bombing campaign was intended to force the communists out of power, but it also had the unintended consequence of killing hundreds of thousands of Cambodians, many of whom were civilians.
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Why did Nixon order the secret bombing of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Cambodia quizlet?
The secret bombing of the ho chi minh trail in cambodia was ordered by nixon to reduce the flow of communist supplies to the vietcong. It was also the beginning of a new era in the Cold War, in which both the Soviet Union and China began to develop their own nuclear arsenals.
Why did the US bomb the Ho Chi Minh Trail?
Dubbed the “Ho Chi Minh Trail,” the American military reasoned that if it could be sufficiently damaged, the enemy would be unable to sustain itself. Three million tons of explosives would be dropped on the Lao portion of the trail. As often as the Trail was bombed, it was never completely destroyed. The Vietnam War was not the first time the United States bombed Laos.
During World War II, American planes dropped more than 100,000 bombs on Laos, which was then a part of French Indochina. In the early 1950s, Laos was also the site of a massive bombing campaign by the U.S. and its allies against North Vietnam. The bombing of Laos continued until the fall of Saigon in 1975.
Why did President Nixon secretly authorize an invasion into Cambodia?
He announced his decision to launch American forces into Cambodia with the special objective of capturing COSVN, “the headquarters of the entire communist military apparatus in Cambodia.”.
Why did the US became involved in Vietnam?
The usa was afraid that communism would spread to south vietnam and then the rest of asia after china became communist in 1949. Money, supplies, and military advisers were sent to help the South Vietnamese fight the communists. The USA sent a lot of money and supplies to the North Vietnamese, but they were not able to win the war. In the end, the USA had to pull out of Vietnam in 1973.
What was the Ho Chi Minh Trail and what was its importance in the Vietnam War?
The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a network of roads that were built from North Vietnam to South Vietnam. Logistical support to the North Vietnamese army and the Vietcong guerrillas was provided by the roads. They were also used to transport troops and supplies to and from the front lines. In the early 1970s, the Vietnamese government began to build a new road network that would link the north and south of the country.
This new highway network was known as the Hanoi-Vietnam Highway (HVT). The HVT was completed in 1975 and was the longest road in the world at that time. It was also the most expensive road project in history, costing over US$1 billion. However, it was not until the 1990s that the road was finally completed and opened to traffic.
Why was the Ho Chi Minh Trail so important?
The Ho Chi Minh Trail was used by the North Vietnamese as a route for its troops to get into the South. The trail was used as a supply route for weapons, food and equipment. One of the most important routes for the Viet Cong was the Ho Chin Minh Trail.
The Vietnam War ended in 1975 with the fall of Saigon and the end of North Vietnam’s occupation of South Vietnam. In 1975, the U.S. and South Vietnamese signed the Paris Peace Accords, which ended the war in Vietnam and established the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) as the new government in Southeast Asia.
