Pol pot biography timeline with paragraphs

Millions of people living in Cambodia were killed during the brutal regime of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. When Pol Pot returned to Cambodia in Januarythe whole region was revolting against French colonial rule. Cambodia officially gained its independence from France later that year. From toPol Pot taught history, geography and French literature at a private school while simultaneously plotting a revolution.

Three years later, following a clampdown on communist activity, he and other party leaders moved deep into the countryside of northern Cambodia, encamping at first with a group of Viet Cong. Pol Pot, who had begun to emerge as Cambodian party chief, and the newly formed Khmer Rouge guerilla army, launched a national uprising in Their revolution started off slowly, though they were able to gain a foothold in the sparsely populated northeast.

At the same time, about 70, U. President Richard M. Nixon also ordered a secret bombing campaign as part of the Vietnam War. Over the span of four years, U. By the time the U. And when I die I will die peacefully. In DecemberPol Pot and Nuon Chea decided to dissolve the Communist Party of Kampuchea, a decision taken with very little discussion among the party's membership, some of whom were shocked.

At the same time, he believed that his main Marxist backers, the Chinese, were themselves restoring capitalism with Deng's reforms. There, he established a new base, K, several miles outside Trat. In SeptemberPol Pot resigned as commander-in-chief of the Khmer Rouge forces in favour of Son Sen; he nevertheless continued to wield significant influence.

With the Soviet Union no longer a threat, the U. The U. Pol Pot established a new headquarters along the border, near Pailin province. Sen, who was backed by the Vietnamese, refused to acknowledge defeat. Pol Pot placed renewed emphasis on those living in Khmer Rouge territory imitating the lives of the poorest peasants and in ordered the confiscation of private transport and an end to cross-border trade with Thailand.

This meant that around 4, soldiers left, almost halving the troop forces that the Khmer Rouge then commanded. We cannot last like this for very long". He suffered from aortic pol pot biography timeline with paragraphs and no longer had access to follow-up treatment for his earlier cancer. Pol Pot had grown suspicious of Son Sen and in June ordered his assassination.

Khmer Rouge cadres subsequently killed Sen and 13 of his family members and aides; Pol Pot later stated that he had not sanctioned all of these killings. Mok rallied troops loyal to him at Anlong Venginforming them that Pol Pot had betrayed their movement, and then headed to Kbal Ansoang. Pol Pot was very frail and had to be carried. Pol Pot stated that his "conscience is clear" but acknowledged that mistakes were made and told Thayer that "I want you to know that everything I did, I did for my country".

In late July, Pol Pot and the three Khmer Rouge commanders who remained loyal to him were brought before a mass meeting near Sang'nam. Thayer was invited to film the event. On 15 AprilPol Pot died in his sleep of a heart attack. Pol's aim was to plunge the country into an inferno of revolutionary change where, certainly, old ideas and those who refused to abandon them would perish in the flames, but from which Cambodia itself would emerge, strengthened and purified, as a paragon of communist virtue.

Short noted that an underlying doctrinal view among the Khmer Rouge was that "it is always better to go too far than not far enough", an approach that was "at the root of many of the abuses" which occurred under their regime. Pol Pot disbanded his Communist Party during the s in order to try to portray himself in a new, favorable light, and because most of his support came from capitalist nations.

We helped the Vietnamese, who were communist. But now the communists are fighting us. So we have to turn to the West and follow their way. It is over for communism, and I want to stress that. Pol Pot stated that he was inspired by what he saw happening in India with Gandhi and Nehru. He said that he started off as a "nationalist and then a patriot" before reading "progressive books" and the French newspaper L'Humanite while in Paris.

Regarding the origin of his political views he remarked that "I cannot tell you of any single influence.

Pol pot biography timeline with paragraphs: Pol Pot was a Cambodian revolutionary

Maybe it's a little from here, a little from there". Short observed that decision-making in Pol Pot's Cambodia was "unruly", making it dissimilar from the centralised, organised processes which were found in other orthodox communist states. In re-interpreting the revolutionary role of classes and "behind the thinnest of Marxist veneers" on the proletariatPol Pot embraced the idea of a revolutionary alliance between the peasantry and the intellectuals.

Pol Pot's government was totalitarian[ ] and he has been described as a dictator. To add to the confusion, even his [Pol Pot's] identity remains in question. In an interview with Yugoslav television inPol Pot said he had come from a poor peasant family. But a Cambodian refugee in Paris, Laau Phuok, insists that Pol Pot's real name is Saloth Sar, and that his father was a landowner distantly related to the royal family.

To complete the mystery, photographs of Pol Pot tend to change in appearance ever so slightly through the years. David Chandler characterized Pol Pot as having a thirst for power, [ ] being introspective, [ ] self-effacing, [ ] and displaying self-control. It confuses the enemy". Vollmann stated that it was derived from the French phrase "politique potentiel".

According to the official biography of Pol Pot published in September by the Department of Press and Information Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Democratic KampucheaPol Pot liked to live and work in the calm, he had "a large spirit of union", he showed "revolutionary optimism" and he was "deeply and firmly confident in the people, the masses, especially in the poor peasants".

Pol Pot was softly spoken. He was friendly, and everything he said seemed very sensible. He would never blame you or scold you to your face. Pol Pot suffered from insomnia [ ] and was frequently ill. Chandler suggested that the seven years that Pol Pot primarily spent in jungle encampments among his fellow Marxists had a significant effect on his world-view, and they "probably reinforced his sense of destiny and self-importance".

This, Short suggested, marked the Khmer Rouge's leadership out as being different from those who led the Chinese and Vietnamese Marxist movements, who tended to see violence as a necessary evil rather than something to embrace joyfully. Pol Pot wanted his followers to develop a "revolutionary consciousness" that would allow them to act without his guidance and was often disappointed when they failed to display this.

Although some busts and paintings of him were produced during the start of the war with Vietnam, Cambodia never saw songs and plays written about him, his photograph was not included in party literature, and there were no publication of his "thoughts", as had been seen with leaders in countries like China and North Korea. Chandler described Pol Pot as one of "the visionary leaders of Cambodian history" for his attempts to radically transform the country.

The idea that the deaths which occurred under Pol Pot's government should be considered genocide was first put forward by the Vietnamese government in after the revelations of the killings committed at Tuol Sleng prison. Chandler noted that while "Cambodia's revolution" under Pol Pot produced "millions of victims", it also had some beneficiaries.

Various groups visited Pol Pot's government while it was in power. He met with Pol Pot, but was murdered shortly afterward; the culprit was never identified. A number of cultic activities and practices have been observed around Pol Pot's grave. Some people make daily offerings of food, as well as more significant offerings such as a pig's head and court music sung by an orchestra.

They chant: "All your children are here, Grandpa.

Pol pot biography timeline with paragraphs: Pol Pot was a

Don't say that we've forgotten you". They ask for good health and for their children to be educated, just like Pol Pot was. Others say that they go to pay their respects to a former leader. Most seem to perceive that some part of the world thinks of Pol Pot in a negative light, however they insist that he was a supporter of the common farmer and a defender of Cambodia.

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Pol pot biography timeline with paragraphs: Pol Pot, leader of

Wikimedia Commons Wikiquote Wikidata item. Cambodian communist leader — In this Cambodian namethe surname is Pol. In accordance with Cambodian custom, this person should be referred to by the given namePot. Khieu Ponnary. Khmer Rouge Democratic Kampuchea. This article contains Khmer text. Without proper rendering supportyou may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Khmer script.

Anti-capitalism Class conflict Class consciousness Classless society Collective leadership Communist party Communist revolution Communist state Commune Communist society Critique of political economy Free association "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs" Market abolitionism Proletarian internationalism Labour movement Social revolution Stateless society Wage slavery Workers' self-management World communism World revolution Dictatorship of the proletariat.

By region. Anti-communism Communist propaganda Criticism of communist party rule Criticism of Marxism. Related topics. Early life [ edit ]. Childhood: — [ edit ]. Later education: — [ edit ]. Paris: — [ edit ]. Revolutionary and political activism [ edit ]. Return to Cambodia: — [ edit ]. Developing the movement: — [ edit ].

Pol pot biography timeline with paragraphs: Pol Pot in. Beijing in His

Kampuchean Labour Party: — [ edit ]. Plotting rebellion: — [ edit ]. Cambodian Civil War [ edit ]. Main article: Cambodian Civil War. Against Sihanouk [ edit ]. Against Lon Nol [ edit ]. Collaboration with Sihanouk: — [ edit ]. Continuing the conflict: [ edit ]. Collectivisation and the conquest of Phnom Penh: — [ edit ]. Leader of Democratic Kampuchea [ edit ].

Establishing the new government: [ edit ]. Rural reform [ edit ]. Democratic Kampuchea: — [ edit ]. Purges and executions [ edit ]. More than two million people were evacuated from Phnom Penh when the Khmer Rouge took power. The evacuation process itself was ruthless, as even children, elderly people and those who were hospitalized were forced to move.

Half of the Chinese living in Cambodia at the time were killed, as were about 90, Muslims of the Cham culture. Vietnamese residents were either expelled or murdered. According to estimates, the Khmer Rouge was responsible for one to two million deaths in Cambodia. One group that suffered huge losses was the new farm workers, recently arrived from the cities, who labored under devastating conditions.

Forced to toil nonstop on very little food, many died of starvation, disease or overwork. The government outlawed money, private property, religion and most books. The dictatorship separated children from their parents and forced arranged marriages. Pol Pot was born in Cambodia in His family was not poor. Instead, his father was a well-off farmer.

However, Pol Pot became a Marxist. Marxism was the creation of Karl Marx According to him, society went through an inevitable series of stages ending in Communism. The workers, he said, would inevitably rebel against the capitalists and Capitalism would be replaced by Socialism in which the state would own industry. Of course, the promised utopia never materialized.

Pol Pot joined the Communist Party in In he won a scholarship to study electronics in Paris.