The Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979 is one of the truly horrific stories from the 20th century. Pol Pot was a hard line Communist revolutionary who claimed to be seeking justice and prosperity for his country. The torture, persecution and execution of perceived political opponents in secret extermination camps did not stop until the invasion of the Vietnamese army in December 1978 and the overthrow of the murderous Pol Pot regime in January 1979.There was no peace until the ceasefire in 1989 and the Paris Peace Accords in 1991. To this day opinion is divided about the Vietnamese invasion as either liberation or conquest.
- Shawcross, William, Sideshow : Kissinger, Nixon and the Destruction of Cambodia, 2002, Cooper Square Press, ISBN, 081541224X
- Short Philip, Pol Pot and the Anatomy of a Nightmare, 2006, St Martins Press, ISBN 0805080066
- Political influences on Pol Pot
- Khymer Rouge revolutionary platform and Year Zero 1975
- Reactions of other nations including the USA and Australia
- Cambodia embroiled in the Vietnam War
- Consequences of the genocide since 1979
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Gain an understanding of the volatile nature of Cambodian politics in the 1970s and the significance of Pol Pots leadership
- Discuss the circumstances which degenerated into chaos and genocide 1975-1979 in which nearly 2 million or close to 20% of the population died
- Gain an understanding of the short term and longer term consequences of the Khymer Rouge legacy from 1975
