Directory of all Indochinese wars in the Cold War

1950–60 Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency (Malay: Darurat) was a Malayan guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA), the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), from 1948 until 1960.

Following the allied victory in World War II, the UK was hoping to keep control over it's colony of Malaya and it's related territories in the north of Borneo.

"Malayan Emergency" was the colonial government's term for the conflict. The MNLA termed it the Anti-British National Liberation War. The rubber plantations and tin-mining industries had pushed for the use of the term "emergency" since their losses would not have been covered by Lloyd's insurers if it had been termed a "war".

Despite the communists' defeat in 1960, communist leader Chin Peng renewed the insurgency against the Malaysian government in 1967; the second phase of fighting lasted until 1989. He fled to exile in Thailand, where he lived until his death on 16 September 2013.

First Indochina War
Following the allied victory in World War II, France was hoping to regain control over its former colony in Indochina, which was also claimed by the Viet Minh. France attempted to invade and reoccupy Vietnam, but after nine years of war, the French gave up and retreated from Indochina. This resulted in Indochina being divided into four countries: North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Laos and Kampuchea. Beginning in 1950, American military advisors arrived in what was then French Indochina.

1953–75 Laotian Civil War
The 1953–75 Laotian Civil War began in 1953 when war escalated between the government forces and Pathet Lao, which received support from North Vietnam and China. In addition to their desire to impose a communist government in Laos, Vietnam also wanted to control the strategically important areas in Laos. The conflict ended in 1975, when Pathet Lao seized power in Laos, ending the Kingdom of Laos.

Second Vietnam War
It was a 1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975 war between Soviet backed N. Vietnam and American backed S. Vietnam. Vietnam was devastated, America fled in disarray and South Vietnam was defeated.

North Vietnamese invasion of Laos
The North Vietnamese invasion of Laos begun in 1958 as a mixed result of boundary disputes and the Hanoi Regime's desire to control the Ho Chi Minh-path. The invasion was a success, and North Vietnam secured control over important parts of Laos.

Victory in Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The Vietnam War started when North Vietnam and the Viet Cong attacked South Vietnam, seeking to reunite the country by force. This led to an American intervention, which lasted until 1973, when they withdrew their forces from Vietnam following a peace treaty. The war went on, and in 1975 North Vietnam emerged victorious.

1967-75 Cambodian Civil War
The 1967-75 Cambodian Civil War was a mixed result of the Khmer Rouge's desire to establish a communist regime in Cambodia, eventually dragging Cambodia into the Vietnam War due to the North Vietnamese support for the Khmer Rouge and their use of Cambodian soil to stage attacks into South Vietnam. The US heavily bombed PVA, VC and Khmer Rouge position in Cambodia. Khmer Rouge was aided militarily by the North Vietnam and the Viet Cong, and won the war in 1975.

Hmong Insurgency
When the Laotian Civil War ended in 1975, the government of Laos started to persecute the Hmong-tribes, who had been fighting alongside the United States in the Vietnam War. Vietnam has participated in the persecution, which has led to thousands of Hmong fleeing to the United States and Thailand. Although the Hmong no longer poses a military threat to the government of Laos, they are still categorized as "bandits" by the authorities.

Civil unrest in South Vietnam
After the Vietnam War was over, some groups in South Vietnam refused to accept the Hanoi regime as the legitimate government of Vietnam. The resistance lasted until the 1980s, when the rebellion ultimately failed.

Cambodian-Vietnamese War
When the Vietnam War ended, the Khmer Rouge, which then controlled Cambodia, claimed the Mekong Delta being a historical part of Cambodia. When Vietnam refused to cede the delta to Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge responded by conducting several border skirmishes, infiltrations and sabotage. By the late 1978, Vietnam invaded Cambodia, and after two weeks of fighting, Vietnamese forces captured Pnomh Penh. Vietnam occupied Cambodia until 1988.

The Cambodian–Vietnamese War was an armed conflict between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and Democratic Kampuchea. The war began with isolated clashes along the land and maritime boundaries of Vietnam and Kampuchea between 1975 and 1977, occasionally involving division-sized military formations. On 25 December 1978, Vietnam launched a full-scale invasion of Kampuchea and subsequently occupied the country and removed the Khmer Rouge government from power.

Vietnamese border raids in Thailand
The Vietnamese border raids in Thailand were a Vietnamese attempt to stop the Khmer Rouge from using Thailand as a base when fighting against Vietnam and the Vietnamese-friendly regime in Pnomh Penh. This nearly led to a war, as Vietnamese troops often penetrated into Thai territory, chasing Khmer Rouge guerrillas. This often resulted in clashes between Vietnamese and Thai forces. However, this never led to a war.

Sino-Vietnamese war
The Sino-Vietnamese War was a Chinese attempt to force Vietnam out of Cambodia. China launched invasion of Vietnam, but faced much tougher resistance than expected. The Chinese invasion lost its progress relatively quickly. The Vietnamese conducted cross-border raids and succeeded in disrupting the Chinese fire support. When the initial offensive had been halted, a new wave of attack was sent in, and eight Chinese divisions were sent into Vietnam. The Chinese penetrated 15–20 km into Vietnamese territory at most, but the price of human life and equipment were very high.

Vietnam did not mobilize its regular divisions, which was meant to protect Hanoi if necessary, and no troops were pulled out of Cambodia during the war. In Lang Son, the hardest battles took place. The city was heavily fortified by the Vietnamese Army, and it took 17 counterattacks before the Chinese were able to capture the city. The Vietnamese troops pulled out of the city itself, but established heavy positions in the surrounding mountains. Soon after, Deng Xiaoping announced that China would pull out its forces. 25 Chinese Divisions of the Third Field Army had been taking part of the invasion. Not a single Vietnamese Regular Division had been mobilized, and the Chinese invasion did not affect the Vietnamese presence in Cambodia. In less than a month, according to Western sources, the Chinese Army had suffered some 26,000 KIA and 37,000 WIA. Both sides claimed victory.

Second Sino-Vietnamese War
When China withdrew all their forces from Vietnam in 1979, they occupied some small areas along the border, and sometimes launched full-scale invasions of Vietnamese cities. The Vietnamese often responded with heavy force. The conflict ended in 1990, when China ended their campaign against Vietnam.

Thai-Laotian Border War
The Thai-Laotian Border War begun in 1987, when Thailand invaded parts of Laos which they claimed to be theirs. Laos responded with force, and the Thai forces were pushed back to the border. During this brief war, Vietnam reinforced its communist ally, and helped them in their war against Thailand. The war ended with a ceasefire in 1988, when Laos had successfully regained all lost ground, and pushed the Thai forces out of the disputed territory.