The Cambodian Nightmare
1. Introduction
The series begins with Lachlan laying out the scenario that was faced by millions in Cambodia on the 17th of April, 1975. The cities were emptied at gunpoint and the citizens of Cambodia became the slaves of Democratic Kampuchea. This introductory episode is an attempt to foreshadow the eventual focus of this series, the revolution enacted by Pol Pot's radical communist movement known to the outside world as the Khmer Rouge. If you do not know what the circumstances were for Cambodia during the Cold War or the basics of this period of history, please follow along as the fundamentals of who, what and where are laid out. The episode ends with a recount of the discovery of the infamous 'Toul Sleng' in Phnom Penh in the aftermath of the collapse of Pol Pot's regime.
2. The Rise and Fall of the Khmer Empire Pt I
In order to fully realize the context in which the Khmer Rouge revolution took place, it is necessary to investigate the scope of the Khmer civilization and explain the truly magnificent accomplishments of Cambodia's past. This episode is a re-telling of Cambodian history from its earliest beginnings, with details of what makes Khmer culture so rich and fascinating. The episode ends with the establishment of the age of Angkor, a city that will become the largest in the pre-industrial period and ruled by the 'Devaraja', a kind of universal monarch. The foundations of this civilization are explained, such as rice harvests, water management and the importance of Hindu mythology.
3. The Rise and Fall of the Khmer Empire Pt II
In part two of the explanation of Cambodia's ancient past, Lachlan details the construction of some of Angkor's most splendid and beautiful examples of architecture including; Angkor Wat, the Bayon and Angkor Thom. The 'golden age' of this period is explained as well as the role of rulers such as Jayavarman VII who oversea the Khmer's ascendancy toward dominating most of mainland Southeast Asia. However, this period of 'greatness' will not last forever and the theories of why the trajectory of this civilization changes are discussed. This episode gives time to Zhou Daguan, a Chinese visitor to the region in the 12th century who wrote the only surviving first-hand account of the city and it's people.
4. Becoming Cambodia Pt I
The transformation from the Khmer Empire into Cambodia from the 15th to the 19th century is key to understanding certain themes and settings for the eventual Khmer Rouge revolution. Exploring the reasons why Cambodia became the country it did will go a long way in explaining certain rhetoric used by Pol Pot and the ideologues of the Communist Party of Kampuchea. This episode briefly explores the history Vietnam, and the roots of animosity that many Khmer feel toward their Eastern neighbor.
5. Becoming Cambodia Pt II
This episode re-treads some of the time period of the previous episode with a focus on the early process of globalization and colonization by European powers from around the 16th century. Using the stories of Blas Ruiz and Diego Veloso, Lachlan highlights the way in which Europeans were ingratiating themselves into Southeast Asian history. Covering the fall of Lovek in 1594, Lachlan then shifts focus to Vietnam once more in order to detail the story of Pierre De Behaine, a Catholic missionary who would play an important role in the unification of Vietnam in 1802 as well as the circumstances that will usher in the upcoming colonial period in Indochina.
6. The Dawn of French Indochina
Beginning with the French revolution and its links with the eventual Khmer Rouge revolution, we then explore the imposition of Vietnamese control on Cambodia in the 19th century, as well as the story of a French naturalist who visited the region. The episode ends with the different ways in which the French conquered Cambodia and Vietnam. The story of Cambodia’s ‘years of calamity’ and the influence of this period on the psyche of a country dominated by the ascendant Siam and Vietnam is explored. We even have an introduction to the early years of Saloth Sar, otherwise known as Pol Pot.
7. The French Protectorate, Rural Life and the Rise of Cambodian Nationalism
French control of Cambodia began as a 'protectorate', and this episode details how this system functioned, as well as the reaction to this by the Khmer. We look at Cambodia in the early 20th century, how Phnom Penh was developed relative to the rest of the country, taxation of the Khmer and the assassination of the Felix Bardez in 1925. We also utilise May Ebihara's work in rural Cambodia to relate what life in the countryside would have been like outside of the big towns and cities, which will become an important theme following the imposition of control by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970's. This episode re-visits Saloth Sar following his move from the country side to the city, and during a time when Cambodian Nationalism is developing.
8 & 9. Communism in Theory / Practice
In a two part discussion of basic communist history and concepts, we cover the formation of the 'cold, dry and foreign winds' that will eventually converge with the regional history of Indochina. Starting with the theories of Marx and Engels, and the context in which their ideas were born, we eventually chart the course of 'theory' meeting 'practice', as the Soviet Union forms in the wake of the Russian Revolution in 1917. Understanding the ideology of the Khmer Rouge, which was a self-proclaimed 'Marxist-Leninist' organisation, must involve at least a basic understanding of what these concepts are and how the ideas that underpinned them were turned into policies. These two episodes cover the period roughly from the 1850's through to the 1930's and by the end, bridge the gap that had formed between world history and Cambodian as the discussion rounds out with the formation of the Indochinese Communist Party - the organisation that the Khmer Rouge will eventually be born out of.
10. Cambodge Becomes Kampuchea
The Second World War created conditions in French Indochina that led to new opportunities for independence movements. In Cambodia, Son Ngoc Thanh and the Nagaravatta group would emerge as the leading nationalists, under the rule of the new king, Nordodom Sihanouk. This episode covers the turbulent years of the Vichy regime, Japanese occupation of Indochina and eventually a 'coup de force' that sees the French Colonialists removed from power - for awhile.
10. Pol Pot in Paris
The French return at the end of 1945 ended the brief period of independence that had been experienced by Cambodia. In the aftermath of WWII, Sihanouk presides over the growth of politics in a land that now saw anti-colonial movements like the Issarak and Viet Minh operating in the countryside. It is in this context that Saloth Sar enters his final years of high school at the Lycee Sisowath before receiving a vocational education. His studies allow him to travel to Paris on a scholarship, where he will enter into a group of students who develop political motives.
1. Introduction
The series begins with Lachlan laying out the scenario that was faced by millions in Cambodia on the 17th of April, 1975. The cities were emptied at gunpoint and the citizens of Cambodia became the slaves of Democratic Kampuchea. This introductory episode is an attempt to foreshadow the eventual focus of this series, the revolution enacted by Pol Pot's radical communist movement known to the outside world as the Khmer Rouge. If you do not know what the circumstances were for Cambodia during the Cold War or the basics of this period of history, please follow along as the fundamentals of who, what and where are laid out. The episode ends with a recount of the discovery of the infamous 'Toul Sleng' in Phnom Penh in the aftermath of the collapse of Pol Pot's regime.
2. The Rise and Fall of the Khmer Empire Pt I
In order to fully realize the context in which the Khmer Rouge revolution took place, it is necessary to investigate the scope of the Khmer civilization and explain the truly magnificent accomplishments of Cambodia's past. This episode is a re-telling of Cambodian history from its earliest beginnings, with details of what makes Khmer culture so rich and fascinating. The episode ends with the establishment of the age of Angkor, a city that will become the largest in the pre-industrial period and ruled by the 'Devaraja', a kind of universal monarch. The foundations of this civilization are explained, such as rice harvests, water management and the importance of Hindu mythology.
3. The Rise and Fall of the Khmer Empire Pt II
In part two of the explanation of Cambodia's ancient past, Lachlan details the construction of some of Angkor's most splendid and beautiful examples of architecture including; Angkor Wat, the Bayon and Angkor Thom. The 'golden age' of this period is explained as well as the role of rulers such as Jayavarman VII who oversea the Khmer's ascendancy toward dominating most of mainland Southeast Asia. However, this period of 'greatness' will not last forever and the theories of why the trajectory of this civilization changes are discussed. This episode gives time to Zhou Daguan, a Chinese visitor to the region in the 12th century who wrote the only surviving first-hand account of the city and it's people.
4. Becoming Cambodia Pt I
The transformation from the Khmer Empire into Cambodia from the 15th to the 19th century is key to understanding certain themes and settings for the eventual Khmer Rouge revolution. Exploring the reasons why Cambodia became the country it did will go a long way in explaining certain rhetoric used by Pol Pot and the ideologues of the Communist Party of Kampuchea. This episode briefly explores the history Vietnam, and the roots of animosity that many Khmer feel toward their Eastern neighbor.
5. Becoming Cambodia Pt II
This episode re-treads some of the time period of the previous episode with a focus on the early process of globalization and colonization by European powers from around the 16th century. Using the stories of Blas Ruiz and Diego Veloso, Lachlan highlights the way in which Europeans were ingratiating themselves into Southeast Asian history. Covering the fall of Lovek in 1594, Lachlan then shifts focus to Vietnam once more in order to detail the story of Pierre De Behaine, a Catholic missionary who would play an important role in the unification of Vietnam in 1802 as well as the circumstances that will usher in the upcoming colonial period in Indochina.
6. The Dawn of French Indochina
Beginning with the French revolution and its links with the eventual Khmer Rouge revolution, we then explore the imposition of Vietnamese control on Cambodia in the 19th century, as well as the story of a French naturalist who visited the region. The episode ends with the different ways in which the French conquered Cambodia and Vietnam. The story of Cambodia’s ‘years of calamity’ and the influence of this period on the psyche of a country dominated by the ascendant Siam and Vietnam is explored. We even have an introduction to the early years of Saloth Sar, otherwise known as Pol Pot.
7. The French Protectorate, Rural Life and the Rise of Cambodian Nationalism
French control of Cambodia began as a 'protectorate', and this episode details how this system functioned, as well as the reaction to this by the Khmer. We look at Cambodia in the early 20th century, how Phnom Penh was developed relative to the rest of the country, taxation of the Khmer and the assassination of the Felix Bardez in 1925. We also utilise May Ebihara's work in rural Cambodia to relate what life in the countryside would have been like outside of the big towns and cities, which will become an important theme following the imposition of control by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970's. This episode re-visits Saloth Sar following his move from the country side to the city, and during a time when Cambodian Nationalism is developing.
8 & 9. Communism in Theory / Practice
In a two part discussion of basic communist history and concepts, we cover the formation of the 'cold, dry and foreign winds' that will eventually converge with the regional history of Indochina. Starting with the theories of Marx and Engels, and the context in which their ideas were born, we eventually chart the course of 'theory' meeting 'practice', as the Soviet Union forms in the wake of the Russian Revolution in 1917. Understanding the ideology of the Khmer Rouge, which was a self-proclaimed 'Marxist-Leninist' organisation, must involve at least a basic understanding of what these concepts are and how the ideas that underpinned them were turned into policies. These two episodes cover the period roughly from the 1850's through to the 1930's and by the end, bridge the gap that had formed between world history and Cambodian as the discussion rounds out with the formation of the Indochinese Communist Party - the organisation that the Khmer Rouge will eventually be born out of.
10. Cambodge Becomes Kampuchea
The Second World War created conditions in French Indochina that led to new opportunities for independence movements. In Cambodia, Son Ngoc Thanh and the Nagaravatta group would emerge as the leading nationalists, under the rule of the new king, Nordodom Sihanouk. This episode covers the turbulent years of the Vichy regime, Japanese occupation of Indochina and eventually a 'coup de force' that sees the French Colonialists removed from power - for awhile.
10. Pol Pot in Paris
The French return at the end of 1945 ended the brief period of independence that had been experienced by Cambodia. In the aftermath of WWII, Sihanouk presides over the growth of politics in a land that now saw anti-colonial movements like the Issarak and Viet Minh operating in the countryside. It is in this context that Saloth Sar enters his final years of high school at the Lycee Sisowath before receiving a vocational education. His studies allow him to travel to Paris on a scholarship, where he will enter into a group of students who develop political motives.