December 25, 1978 · Cambodian border Theater
December 25, 1978
On Christmas Day 1978, Vietnam launches the largest military operation in Southeast Asia since the end of the Vietnam War. Approximately 150,000 Vietnamese troops, supported by tanks, artillery, and air power, cross the Cambodian border on multiple axes. They are joined by the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation — Cambodian defectors led by Heng Samrin. The Khmer Rouge army, decimated by internal purges, collapses with shocking speed. Vietnamese forces advance 40 kilometers per day.
Commanders