13. The Royal Crusade For Independence

How does Cambodian Independence day originate in November 1953? What does the First Indochina War look like in Cambodia? How does a young Pol Pot 'join the maquis'?

Time Period Covered January – December 1953 

This episode explains the actions of King Sihanouk that one French General declared were ‘that of a madman, but a madman of genius’. Almost out of the blue the Cambodian king will claim independence for his country and end almost a century of French colonial rule. Meanwhile, the First Indochina War will bring its ruin to the Cambodian countryside and Saloth Sar will join the communist struggle against the French in the jungles. 

Sources
Philip Short Pol Pot: History of a Nightmare
David Chandler The Tragedy of Cambodian History
Milton Osbourne Sihanouk
Christopher Goscha Vietnam A New History
Ben Kiernan Viet Nam 
Edward Miller ​The Vietnam War