Asia Pacific 1979: Sino-Vietnamese War

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Political map of East Asia and the Western Pacific on 05 Mar 1979 (The Cold War in Asia: Sino-Vietnamese War), showing the following events: Cambodian genocide; Indonesian invasion of East Timor; Unification of Vietnam; Death of Mao Zedong; Dissolution of SEATO; Independence of the Solomon Islands; Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia; Sino-Vietnamese War.

International
Date Line

Apr 1975–Jan 1979Up to 3 million
Cambodians die
under Khmer Rouge

Dec 1975–Dec 1978Indonesia
occupies E.Timor

Jul 1976Unification
of Vietnam

Sep 1976Death of
Mao Zedong

Jun 1977SEATO alliance
dissolved

Jul 1978Independence
of Solomon Is.

Dec 1978–Jan 1979Vietnam invades &
occupies Cambodia

17 Feb–16 Mar 1979China invades
northern Vietnam

5 March 1979

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5 Mar 1979

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Cold War in Asia

1894–1911 Rise of Japan 1911–1927 Warlords and Revolutionaries 1927–1937 China's Nanjing Decade 1937–1941 Second Sino-Japanese War 1941–1943 WWII: The Greater East Asia War 1943–1945 WWII: Victory Over Japan 1945–1950 End of the Old Order 1950–1989 Cold War in Asia 1989–pres Asian Economic Powers

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Game of Thrones

Sino-Vietnamese War

14 Sep 1950 Outbreak of the Korean War 24 Nov 1950 UN Offensive in Korea 9 Sep 1951 China in Korea and Tibet 6 May 1954 First Indochina War 28 Mar 1959 China under Mao 16 Sep 1963 Formation of Malaysia 1 Apr 1968 Vietnam War 27 Jan 1973 Paris Peace Accords 2 Dec 1975 Communist Victory in Indochina 5 Mar 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War

The Khmer Rouge's brutal rule in Cambodia led to millions of deaths, while its growing antagonism with its former Vietnamese allies erupted into full scale war in 1978. Vietnam quickly occupied most of Cambodia, prompting China, which had supported the Khmer Rouge, to attack Vietnam. After a month of brutal but inconclusive warfare, the Chinese withdrew.

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Main Events

17 Apr 1975–7 Jan 1979 Cambodian genocide ▲

Between 1.5 and 3 million Cambodians die under Khmer Rouge rule in wikipedia

7 Dec 1975–31 Dec 1978 Indonesian invasion of East Timor ▲

In Operasi Seroja (Operation Lotus), the Indonesian navy bombarded Dili, capital of newly independent East Timor, followed by the simultaneous landing of Indonesian seaborne troops and paratroopers. Further assaults captured Bacau on 10 December and Liquisa and Maubara on Christmas Day. However, East Timorese troops held out in the interior until 1978, and sporadic guerrilla warfare would continue into the 1990s. in wikipedia

2 Jul 1976 Unification of Vietnam ▲

Unification of North and South Vietnam as Socialist Republic of Vietnam in wikipedia

9 Sep 1976 Death of Mao Zedong ▲

After suffering two major heart attacks in March and July 1976, Mao Zedong, Chairman of the People’s Republic of China, was hit by a third attack on 5 September, rendering him an invalid. He died almost four days later at ten minutes past midnight on 9 September 1976, aged 82. The Communist Party of China kept his death secret until 4:00pm that day, when it released the news in a nationwide radio broadcast. in wikipedia

30 Jun 1977 Dissolution of SEATO ▲

South East Asia Treaty Organization formally dissolved in wikipedia

7 Jul 1978 Independence of the Solomon Islands ▲

The Solomon Islands is made independent of the United Kingdom, with 35 year old Chief Minister Peter Kenilorea becoming Prime Minister. in wikipedia

25 Dec 1978–7 Jan 1979 Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia ▲

Following repeated border clashes, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam launched a full-scale invasion of Khmer Rouge-ruled Democratic Kampuchea (modern Cambodia). The 150,000-strong Vietnamese force quickly defeated the Chinese-armed Kampuchean Revolutionary Army and, on 7 January 1979, occupied the capital of Phnom Penh. With the Khmer Rouge leadership forced to flee to neighboring Thailand, the Vietnamese backed the creation of a new state in Cambodia—the People’s Republic of Kampuchea. in wikipedia

17 Feb–16 Mar 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War ▲

In response to the Vietnamese occupation of Chinese-backed Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China invaded northern Vietnam, capturing a number of cities near the border. On 6 March, the Chinese declared their punitive mission had been accomplished and withdrew their troops. Both sides would claim victory, however, and small-scale border clashes would continue until 1990. in wikipedia

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