 How does the "Vietnam War" begin?
How did the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) get its name? Why did Sihanouk start making so many movies in the 1960's? Time Period Covered 1964 - 1967 In this episode, Lachlan revisits Vietnam as LBJ wages war upon the North and the Viet Cong. Pol Pot leaves the jungle to visit Hanoi, and Beijing, and changes the direction of Khmer Communism. Meanwhile, in Cambodia, Sihanouk begins losing his magic touch as various quarters become less enamoured with his policies. The Cambodian Civil War approaches, as the war in Vietnam begins to spread. Sources Philip Short Pol Pot: History of a Nightmare David Chandler The Tragedy of Cambodian History & Brother Number One Ben Kiernan How Pol Pot Came to Power Milton Osbourne Sihanouk Steve Heder Cambodian Communism and the Vietnamese Model Edward Miller The Vietnam War Mark Atwood Lawrence A Concise History of the Vietnam War Democratic Kampuchea Livre Noir
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 How did Pol Pot become leader of the Khmer Rouge?
What did prominent communists like Khieu Samphan do in Sihanouk’s Cambodia? Were there limits to Sihanouk’s power and tightrope act? Time Period Covered 1960-1963 We begin with a reflection on how Cambodian history can permeate even seemingly mundane spaces, before looking in on a secret communist seminar led by the new leader of the Khmer Rouge. This episode functions as a revisit of some loose ends left as the Cambodian communists began taking their own steps toward having an independent movement from the Vietnamese, as well as how the roles in that party began taking shape. We learn about the mysterious death of Tuo Samouth, as well as the circumstances that precede the vitally important year of 1963. Apologies for some audio hiccups, this one was recorded in a different location. Sources Philip Short Pol Pot: History of a Nightmare David Chandler The Tragedy of Cambodian History, Brother Number One, A History of Cambodia Ben Kiernan How Pol Pot Came to Power Milton Osbourne Sihanouk Elizabeth Becker When the War was Over Norodom Sihanouk My War with the CIA  What does the anti-colonial scene look like in Cambodia? Who are the Khmer Issarak and how do nationalists and young Cambodian students relate to this movement as well as the growing war in Vietnam with the returning French?
Time Period Covered 1945 - 1950 Saloth Sar, the young Pol Pot, will arrive in Paris in October 1949. In this episode we trace the path that he takes to get there, as well as the very important developments in Cambodian and world history that are taking place at this time. Resistance to French colonialism takes the shape of the 'Khmer Issarak' in Cambodia, a banner which includes many different groups and figures - some open to communist ideology and some staunch nationalists. Leaders such as Dap Chhuon, Prince Chantaraingsey, Puth Chhay and Son Ngoc Minh are discussed, as well as the circumstances around the beginning of the First Indochina War. Meanwhile, Saloth Sar is introduced to communist ideology in Paris, and a group of students including Ieng Sary, Thioun Mumm, Keng Vannsak and more will organise themselves along Marxist inspired politics. 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  What did French control of Cambodia look like? How did this ‘Protectorate’ function? What are the origins of Cambodian nationalism? What was life like for your average Khmer in the early 20th century?
Time Period Covered 1880 – 1938 This episode centres around Cambodian history as the French instigate the colonisation of Indochina. We learn about the early reactions to French rule, as well as the treatment of the Khmer by the imperial power and how the 'protectorate' functioned. The murder of the French 'resident' Felix Louis Bardez in a rural hamlet also prompts a discussion of the culture of the Khmer living in the areas outside of the major towns and cities based on May Ebihara's groundbreaking work. This episode continues detailing the early life of Saloth Sar, and his family, as well as introducing Son Ngoc Thanh, and the first Khmer language newspaper 'Nagaravatta'. Sources David Chandler A History of Cambodia Ben Kiernan How Pol Pot Came to Power Philip Short Pol Pot: History of a Nightmare May Ebihara Svay: A Khmer Village in Cambodia |