Cambodian Civil War

The 1970–1975 conflict between the Khmer Republic and communist insurgents, ending with the Khmer Rouge’s capture of Phnom Penh and establishment of Democratic Kampuchea.

Khmer Republic: The Cambodian state led by Lon Nol from 1970 until the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh in 1975. Its government fought the insurgency after removing Norodom Sihanouk from power.
1970 Cambodian coup: The March 1970 removal of Prince Norodom Sihanouk from power by Cambodia’s National Assembly and military leadership. The coup displaced Sihanouk and helped turn political opposition into armed conflict.
Democratic Kampuchea: The Khmer Rouge-led state that governed Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. It was established immediately after the civil war ended.
Cambodian Civil War (1970–1975): The five-year armed conflict between the Khmer Republic and communist insurgents in Cambodia. This episode-based view follows the conflict’s main phases and military turning points.
Khmer Rouge: The Cambodian communist movement that took power in 1975 and established Democratic Kampuchea. Its insurgency defeated the Khmer Republic and captured Phnom Penh.
Norodom Sihanouk: A Cambodian monarch and political leader who ruled or led Cambodia for much of the mid-twentieth century. After his removal, he allied with the Khmer Rouge and urged resistance to Lon Nol.
Cambodian genocide: The mass killing, forced labor, starvation, and persecution carried out under the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1979. The victors’ rule transformed wartime victory into nationwide catastrophe.
Operation Chenla II: A major 1971 Cambodian government offensive that failed to secure the route between Phnom Penh and Kampong Thom. Its defeat exposed the Khmer Republic’s military weakness.
Lon Nol: A Cambodian military and political leader who headed the Khmer Republic from 1970 to 1975. His government directed the war against communist forces.
Khmer Issarak: A diverse Cambodian anti-colonial movement that opposed French rule from the 1940s into the 1950s. Its earlier revolutionary networks formed part of Cambodia’s communist political inheritance.

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