Cambodia Civil War

Definition

The Cambodia Civil War was a conflict that took place from 1968 to 1975. It was fought between the government forces of King Norodom Sihanouk, later General Lon Nol, and the Khmer Rouge rebels.

Analogy

Imagine a school election where two parties are vying for control. One party is backed by popular students (like the US backing Lon Nol), while another group (Khmer Rouge) gains support through promises of change. However, once they win, they implement drastic and harmful changes.

Related terms

Khmer Rouge: A communist party in Cambodia that led the Cambodian genocide and ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979.

Vietnam War: A conflict in Vietnam that had significant impact on neighboring countries including Cambodia.

Genocide: The intentional action to destroy a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. This term relates to what happened under Khmer Rouge's rule.