Lon Nol

Lon Nol was a Cambodian military officer and politician who served as prime minister and president. He led the 1970 coup that overthrew Norodom Sihanouk and established the Khmer Republic.

Norodom Sihanouk: Cambodian king and political leader who held power through much of the country’s post-independence history. Lon Nol’s coup in 1970 removed Sihanouk from power while he was abroad.
Operation Menu: A secret United States bombing campaign against North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces in Cambodia from 1969 to 1970. The bombing intensified tensions surrounding Sihanouk’s policy and Lon Nol’s government.
Sirik Matak: A Cambodian prince and politician who served as deputy prime minister under Lon Nol. He helped organize the political campaign against Sihanouk and later rivaled Lon Nol within the republic.
Fall of Phnom Penh: The Khmer Rouge capture of Cambodia’s capital on April 17, 1975, ending the Khmer Republic. The city’s fall ended Lon Nol’s government while he was already in exile.
Cambodian coup of 1970: The March 1970 removal of Norodom Sihanouk by Cambodia’s National Assembly and political-military elite. Lon Nol was the coup’s leading figure and became head of government afterward.
Operation Freedom Deal: A United States air campaign in Cambodia conducted from 1970 to 1973 during the Cambodian Civil War. U.S. air support aided Lon Nol’s government but caused extensive Cambodian casualties and destruction.
In Tam: A Cambodian politician who held senior posts in the Khmer Republic and briefly served as prime minister. His influence reflected divisions among the anti-Sihanouk leaders who took power in 1970.
Cambodian genocide: The mass deaths and persecution carried out by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. The regime that followed Lon Nol’s defeat killed roughly a quarter of Cambodia’s population.
Khmer Republic: The Cambodian state established in 1970 after Norodom Sihanouk’s removal and ended with the Khmer Rouge victory in 1975. Lon Nol became president of the republic created after the coup.
Khmer National Armed Forces: The armed forces of the Khmer Republic during the Cambodian Civil War. Lon Nol’s government depended on this army, whose battlefield performance remained poor.

Linked from 7 pages

History of CambodiaRelated: His seizure of power ended Sihanouk’s first post-independence government.