The Cambodian Civil War
1970-1975
Overview
The Cambodian civil war took place 1970-1980. During this war the communist party of Kampuchea (informally known as the Khmer rouge) killed nearly 2 million Cambodians. That's a fifth (20%)of the countries population. The war didn't start until 1970 but the fighting started in 1965 when the Lon Nol government was extremely weak and the Khmer Rouge decided that this was the perfect time to attempt to overthrow the government.
The Capitol, Phnom Penh
Precursor Events
Over throw of Prince Sihanouk
Prince Sihanouk fell from power when Lon Nol forces backed by Pro American associates staged a successful coup to dispose the prince as head of state
The U.S. uses Cambodia as a regrouping ground
During the Vietnam war the United States was using Cambodia as a regrouping zone for troops. The country was already weakened from the fall of Prince Sihanouk and this event caused the government to grow weaker.
The U.S. bombs Cambodia
Additionally the United States also bombed parts of Cambodia to try and destroy suspected Viet Cong Targets. This set the stage for animosity towards the west. This image shows a family in the remains of their home near Neak Loung. It was destroyed in a misdirected bombing.
Fighting Begins
During the time that the United States was at war with Vietnam The Lon Nol government began fighting with the Khmer rouge. The Government grew weaker as the fighting went on.
Vietnamese Involvement
During the time that the Vietnamese war was going on the Lon Nol government was also at war with the Khmer Rouge. The Vietnamese had teamed up the Khmer Rouge and were aiding them on the battle field. The Khmer Rouge began beating the Lon Nol forces on the battle field.
The Khmer Rouge takes over
On April 17, 1975 the Khmer Rouge took control of Cambodia. The capitol of Phnom Penh was seized and the Khmer Rouge soldiers rode through the streets while crowds gathered to cheer for them. The citizens however had no clue what was waiting for them in the near future.
Evacuating Phnom Penh
Later that day the Khmer Rouge evacuated the City of Phnom Penh. People were forced to leave their homes because the Khmer Rouge believed that the people of Phnom Penh were corrupt because they were educated. They were sent to re-education camps because they believed the people of Phnom Penh needed to be more like the people that lived in the towns and farmed.
Re-education Camps
At the re-education camps those that were considered corrupt were sent to work. They were abused and if they seemed like a threat they were immediately killed. People were taken for "work" but never returned.
Child Soldiers
Many children were taken from the re-education camps to a camp where they would be trained to fight. These children were brainwashed and fought along side adult Khmer Rouge soldiers.
Technology
The Khmer Rouge used modern technology in this war. Most of their guns were supplied by china. The people in the re-education camps were forced to grow, harvest and ship rice to china to pay for the supplies.
Population
This chart shows how even though the deaths in Cambodia were less than other countries it still significantly affected the country.
Population
This graph shows the steady increase in the size of the population
Population
This graph shows what the estimated population would be if it wasn't for The Khmer Rouge and what the population actually is now.
Cambodian Artwork
This image above is a potion of the mural in Phnom Penh Silver Pagoda.
Looted statue
This is a famous statue that was looted during the war. It was from a ancient Hindu temple and went missing three decades ago. The statue was returned to Cambodia just this February.
Killing Fields
This is a painting of the S21 killing fields prison. These are the prisons that many were killed.
Poems
This is a poem that was written about the Khmer Rouge. It explains the Khmer Rouges beliefs and unfair practices. The full poem can be found in this article linked below.