Pol Pot Research Paper

On April 17, 1975, Communist dictator Pol Pot led the Khmer Rouge into the the capital city of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. As people fled the capital, the Khmer Rouge took control of the Cambodian government, establishing their rule shrouded in blood and murder. Their goal: turn the country of Cambodia into a communist agrarian utopia. Although the Khmer Rouge only held power for four years, it was an incredibly brutal time. The Khmer Rouge murdered between 1.7 to 2.2 million people in an attempt to create their perfect society. People were starved, beaten, imprisoned, and executed by the Khmer Rouge. By examining the history of their conflict, the casualty count, and the ensuing fallout, it is clear that the mass murder at the hands of the Khmer Rouge was the
During the first Indochina War in the 1950s, Communist guerillas formed the loosely based Communist Party of Kampuchea (“Cambodian Genocide”). In the following decade of the 1960’s, the Party gained more support and grew more powerful. Marxist leader Pol Pot eventually became the leader of the Communist Party. In the years leading up to the Khmer Rouge’s regime, the neighboring Vietnam War spilled over into Cambodia. Pol Pot led the Khmer Rouge on a powertrip into Cambodia in April 1975. On April 17th the Khmer Rouge invaded the Cambodian capital city of Phnom Penh (“Cambodian Genocide”). Thousands of civilians fled the city in an attempt to escape the horrors that were sure to ensue. That same day, the Khmer Rouge seized control of the Cambodian government. Cambodia became known as the Democratic Republic of Kampuchea. Pol Pot declared the year zero and began to “purify” society (Amendola). The ideology of the Khmer Rouge combined elements of Marxism, Khmer nationalism, and xenophobia. All traces of western society, such as capitalism and city life, were expelled. This was the beginning of Pol Pot’s dreamed communist agrarian