Failures of Sihanouk’s Rule and Rise of the Khmer Rouge
- Prince Norodom Sihanouk dominated Cambodian politics from independence but failed to control corruption, rural poverty and rising communist influence, contributing to the rise of the Khmer Rouge.
- Sihanouk’s rule relied on personal authority and political patronage, weakening formal institutions.
- His government failed to address widespread rural poverty, angering peasants who felt neglected.
- Corruption and repression alienated students, workers and intellectuals in urban areas.
- Sihanouk attempted neutrality in the Cold War, but Cambodia became increasingly destabilized by the Vietnam War.
- The Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, gained support among disillusioned youth and rural communities.
Sihanouk’s Overthrow (1970)
Causes of the Coup
- General Lon Nol removed Sihanouk while he was abroad, promising stronger leadership.
- The US approved of Lon Nol due to his willingness to resist communism.
- Sihanouk’s neutrality angered both the US and local elites who wanted decisive alliances.
- Rural discontent increased as the economy weakened and the Vietnam War crossed into Cambodia.
- Sihanouk lost legitimacy among elites who viewed his leadership as unstable.
Consequences for Cambodia
- Sihanouk allied with the Khmer Rouge, lending them massive popularity among rural Cambodians.
- Lon Nol’s regime was weak, corrupt and ineffective against growing communist insurgency.
- The coup plunged Cambodia into civil war.
- US bombing campaigns against Vietnamese sanctuaries inside Cambodia destabilized the country further.
- The Khmer Rouge emerged as the strongest anti-government force by 1973.
Definition
Lon Nol
- Military leader who overthrew Sihanouk in 1970, leading an unstable pro-American government.
Definition
Neutrality
- Sihanouk’s foreign policy attempt to avoid siding openly with the US or communists.
Khmer Rouge Ideology, Pol Pot and the Nature of the Regime
- The Khmer Rouge, under Pol Pot, sought to create a pure agrarian communist society, resulting in one of the most violent and destructive regimes of the twentieth century.
- Khmer Rouge ideology focused on radical agrarian socialism, self-sufficiency and elimination of class enemies.
- The movement viewed cities as corrupt and sought to eliminate modern influences.
- Pol Pot wanted to rebuild Khmer society based on an idealized version of its ancient past.
