Cambodia Flashcards
When did Sihanouk become King?
1941
When did Sihanouk abdicate?
1955
What percentage of Cambodian peasants were in poverty between 1950 and 1970?
50%
How many High Schools were there in Cambodia by 1967?
200
When did Sihanouk break off relations with the US?
1965
When did the First Civil War break out?
1967
Why was Sihanouk able to win the First Civil War?
- Small rebel numbers (10,000 by 1970)
- Sihanouk’s prestige
- Sihanouk’s ruthlessness
When did the US start to bomb Cambodia?
Operation Menu 1969
Who took power in Cambodia in 1970?
Lon Nol
Why was Lon Nol able to seize power in 1970?
- US bombing
- Distrust of Sihanouk by the military and middle class.
- Lon Nol was outside of the country
- Lon Nol distrusted Sihanouk
Why did the Khmer Rouge seize power in 1975?
- US Bombing
- Support for the Khmer Rouge by Sihanouk
- Popularity of the Khmer Rouge policies
- Lon Nol was hated and corrupt.
How did the Khmer Rouge try to remove foreign influence from Cambodia?
- Execution of intellectuals (80% of teachers and 95% of doctors)
- Ethnic Cleansing (execution of the Muslim Chams)
- Target Vietnamese-Cambodians
How did the Khmer Rouge try to achieve self-sufficiency?
- Elevate the peasantry
- Collectivisation
- Evacuate Phnom Penh
How did the Khmer Rouge try to enforce uniformity on its population?
- Appearance of individuals
- Collectivisation
- Focus on “Cambodians”
How many Vietnamese Cambodians fled to Vietnam?
375,000
Where did border clashes take place in 1978?
Vietnam - Cambodian border.
Who did Cambodian ally with?
China. Shared a belief in the importanc of the agricultural worker as the basis of Communist ideology.
Who did Vietnam appoint as leader of Cambodia after 1978?
Heng Samrin
Who replaced Heng Samrin after 1985?
Hun Sen
What was Cambodia known as after 1978?
Peoples’ Republic of Kampuchea (PRK)
Who supported the PRK?
Vietnam and Russia
Who challenged the PRK?
Khmer Rouge and China. As a result the West and the UN also supported them in order to oppose Russia.
What did the 1991 Paris Peace Settlement state?
- All sides demobilised
- New elections held in 1993
- Elections to be overseen by the UN
What were the weaknesses of the UN involvement in Cambodia?
- UN only sent 16,000 soldiers
- Not all sides demobilised
- Khmer Rouge kidnapped UN workers
What was the turnout of the 1993 election?
90%
What was the result of the 1993 election?
Coalition government between Prince Ranariddh (58 seats) and Hun Sen (51 seats)
How much of Cambodia did the Communists control by 1971?
50%
How many members did the Khmer Rouge have by 1972?
200,000
How many people had died from starvation by 1979?
650,000
How many were murdered in the killing fields?
At least 1 million
