The conflict known as the Cambodian-Vietnamese War began with a Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia and ended with the withdrawal of Vietnamese forces in which year?

• A. 1987
• B. 1990
• C. 1985
• D. 1989

Answer: (D)

This question hinges on the timeline of the Cambodian-Vietnamese War. Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia in late 1978 toppled the Khmer Rouge regime and installed a Vietnamese-backed government in Phnom Penh, beginning a long period of direct military involvement. The defining moment for the end of that era is when Vietnam began withdrawing its forces, which started in 1989. This withdrawal marked the end of large-scale foreign military occupation in Cambodia and opened the path for subsequent peace negotiations and eventual political settlements in the early 1990s. While fighting with Khmer Rouge remnants continued for a time, the major phase of the conflict effectively ended with the 1989 withdrawal.