In a quiet corner of Southeast Asia, bordering Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, is the small country of Cambodia. The escalating Vietnam war drew Cambodia into years of turmoil. After 7 years of struggle, Cambodia was celebrating the end of war and the promise of a fresh start. Their celebrations lasted less than a day. On April 17th, 1975, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, invaded Cambodia’s capital city of Phnom Penh, and citizens were forced into the countryside. This marked the start of one of the worst periods in Cambodia’s history; the Cambodian Genocide.
Between 1975 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge, a communist political party in Cambodia, led by Pol Pot refused to compromise their extreme beliefs. These radical beliefs and the violent ways, led to …show more content…
Therefore, the North Vietnamese sought refuge in the bordering regions of Cambodia and set up the ho chi min trail, which was a supply line running from N vietnam through Laos and Cambodia to south vietnam. Amidst this conflict, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, then a relatively insignificant communist group, set up insurgency bases in North East Cambodia. After receiving training from China, and with backing from the North Vietnamese, the Khmer Rouge movement grew in strength. By 1968, the Khmer Rouge had started nationwide insurgencies against the Cambodian army of Prince …show more content…
Despite the ongoing US bombings throughout the following 5 years, the Khmer Rouge had grown from an insignificant, underground organisation to effectively controlling the majority of Cambodia. The Lon Nol government lost strength and Lon Nol himself fled the country. Then on April 17th, 1975, the Khmer Rouge finally captured Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia... Their troops were welcomed into the city as heros by cheering crowds, who believed that five years of civil war and conflict were finally over. The vision of the Khmer Rouge was agrarianism. This was to bring Cambodia into a period of new life, growth, and activity that centred on agriculture and that was free from education and all western influence. Pol Pot declared that no one would be rich or poor and everyone would live in an equal society. This was to be the start of ‘Year
Between 1975 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge, a communist political party in Cambodia, led by Pol Pot refused to compromise their extreme beliefs. These radical beliefs and the violent ways, led to …show more content…
Therefore, the North Vietnamese sought refuge in the bordering regions of Cambodia and set up the ho chi min trail, which was a supply line running from N vietnam through Laos and Cambodia to south vietnam. Amidst this conflict, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, then a relatively insignificant communist group, set up insurgency bases in North East Cambodia. After receiving training from China, and with backing from the North Vietnamese, the Khmer Rouge movement grew in strength. By 1968, the Khmer Rouge had started nationwide insurgencies against the Cambodian army of Prince …show more content…
Despite the ongoing US bombings throughout the following 5 years, the Khmer Rouge had grown from an insignificant, underground organisation to effectively controlling the majority of Cambodia. The Lon Nol government lost strength and Lon Nol himself fled the country. Then on April 17th, 1975, the Khmer Rouge finally captured Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia... Their troops were welcomed into the city as heros by cheering crowds, who believed that five years of civil war and conflict were finally over. The vision of the Khmer Rouge was agrarianism. This was to bring Cambodia into a period of new life, growth, and activity that centred on agriculture and that was free from education and all western influence. Pol Pot declared that no one would be rich or poor and everyone would live in an equal society. This was to be the start of ‘Year