ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Military history of Cambodia

Okay kiddo, so let's talk about Cambodia's military history! This means we're going to learn about battles, wars, and important events that involve Cambodia's soldiers.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, Cambodia was a powerful and important place in Southeast Asia. Their army was strong and they fought bravely in battles. But over time, things changed and Cambodia started facing many challenges.

One of the biggest events in Cambodia's military history happened in the 1970s. Cambodians call this time the "Khmer Rouge regime." It was a very sad and difficult time. Many people suffered and died, and the country's army was not able to protect their citizens.

During the Khmer Rouge regime, there was a civil war in Cambodia, and many people were angry with their government. The Khmer Rouge, a group that did not like the government, took control of Cambodia. They were very cruel to the people and made everyone work very hard. Many people were taken away from their families and put into labor camps where they had to work for long hours.

The Khmer Rouge did not care about the army or protecting the country. In fact, they made the army weaker and less important. They even killed some soldiers!

Eventually, the Khmer Rouge were defeated by a group called the "Vietnamese Army." This group helped Cambodia get rid of the Khmer Rouge and tried to bring peace to the country. However, it was still hard for Cambodia's army to grow strong again.

Today, Cambodia is still working to rebuild its military. They want to become one of the strongest armies in Southeast Asia once again. They have made some progress, and Cambodian soldiers continue to work hard to protect their country and its people.