Cambodia after 1979 and the application of the Reagan Doctrine

The thesis deals with the developments in Cambodia after 1979 and the Reagan Doctrine which was applied to Cambodia in the 1980s. The Vietnamese invasion ended the cruel government of the Khmer Rouge and also effected the development of the country for more than a decade. Cambodia became an ally of the Soviet Union and the expansionism of the Soviets was unacceptable for the United States. According to the Reagan Doctrine, US decided to support anticommunist movements in third world countries. The thesis analyzes the American support to the anticommunist groups in Cambodia and searches for the reasons of American decisions to support these groups and Washington's impact on the peace treaty and the withdrawal of Vietnamese forces. Based on the analysis of American policy, international negotiations and internal development in Cambodia, the thesis concludes that the main reason for US involvement was the fear of the spread of Soviet influence around the world, but the role of the US was limited and passive. It was caused by almost no interest in the issue of Cambodia and the American society also had a painful experience with the war in Vietnam. There were also reports that the international aid and assistance was used by the Khmer Rouge. The US became more active when new president came to office...