From Sideshow To Genocide:
Cambodia Before the Holocaust


(The players. Clockwise from bottom left: KR chairman Pol Pot; US president Richard Nixon; KR foreign minister Ieng Sary; KR security chief Khieu Samphan; Cambodian prime minister Lon Nol; King Norodom Sihanouk)

In the grand scheme of Cambodian history, 45 months of communist rule may seem seem like a random tangent when compared with over a thousand years of Cambodian culture. But the Cambodian holocaust is much more complex than that - a long series of events encompassing the entire 20th century may all be seen as contributing factors.

In Cambodia Before the Holocaust you can explore the many interconnected episodes of modern Cambodian history that led to the Khmer Rouge regime. For first-time readers we recommend you examine each subchapter in the order presented; for those of you with specific interests in certain aspects of Cambodian history you can jump between each section by choosing hyperlinks for the subchapters listed below.

Please begin by selecting from the following subchapters:

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