Emergence of Authoritarian States: Pol Pot

IB History SL Paper 2: Authoritarian States

Pol Pot took power this year

1975

Cambodia gained independence from France this year

1953

General Lon Nol Ursurped power in ___ announcing the Khmer Republic

1970

Income inequality was rampant, as ____ Cambodians lived in wealth and comfort but most worked long days on farms for little reward

urban

Marxist Perspective on the Khmer Revolution

Marxists would agree with the proletariat aspect of the revolution, disagreeing with the ideology demarcating pure and impure peasants from each other as a misapplication of Marxism by separating the proletariat. They would argue that the Khmer Rouge instituted state capitalism as opposed to real socialism.

______ ______ was the Khmer Rouges main plan for the Cambodian economy because: …. , gaining support from lower classes

Collective farming; repair the economy of Cambodia, reduce the drastic class division, improve the lives of farmers who lived in impoverished villages

The GDP of Cambodia in 1975 before the Khmer Rouge took over was at an all time low of

749 million USD

What ideology would agree the most with the emergence of the Khmer Rouge, why?

Maoism would agree the most for its rural peasant revolution, its crackdown on dissent, its focus on “people’s war” guerilla tactics. This is evident with support from the CCP under Mao for Pol Pot. Despite claiming a marxist-leninist ideology as their own, the Khmer Rouge aligned more closely to Maoism.

Explain Social Division in the emergence of the Khmer Rouge

The genocide was done because the Khmer Rouge wanted to return to a mythic past, eliminating all foreign (corrupt to them) influences to return the nation to a pure and agrarian society (Alvarez 50)

“HISTORIAN ALVAREZ ARGUES: the Khmer Rouge scapegoated social divisions to take power, blaming foreign influences to rural Cambodians to gain support”

Persecuted ethnic groups, christians, buddhists, and muslims, forcing them to eat pork.

“Pure people” vs “impure”

The Cham Muslims, with 100,000 to 500,000 Chams Killed Mosques destroyed on top of it.

2. The Khmer Rouge despised ethnic Vietnamese , with Vietnam being favoured by French Rule.

200,000-300,000 Chinese killed (UN)

Lao- The small Lao Population in Cambodia faced persecution

Indigenous Hill Tribes- The Khmer Loeu, including groups like the Tampuan,  Jarai, and Kreung, were forced into  collectivized farming

Key Historian on the Impact of War on the Khmer Rouge’s rise to power David Porter Chandler said

According to Chandler, "for the next three years (1967-1969) Sihanouk, the urban elite, and the Cambodian left were engaged in mortal combat. Broadly, this period can be seen in terms of the left's ascendancy, the urban elite's increasing relentlessness, and Sihanouk's decline”

What civil war led to the emergence of the Khmer Rouge, What interventions happened during the war?

In March 1970, General Lon Nol initiated a military coup while Cambodia’s hereditary leader, Prince Norodom Sihanouk, was out of the country. A civil war then broke out in which Prince Norodom allied himself with the Khmer Rouge, and Lon Nol received the backing of the United States.

Both the Khmer Rouge and Lon Nol’s troops purportedly committed mass atrocities. At the same time, about 70,000 U.S. and South Vietnamese soldiers stormed across the Vietnam-Cambodian border to fight North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops who had taken sanctuary in Cambodia.

U.S. President Richard M. Nixon also ordered a secret bombing campaign as part of the Vietnam War. Over the span of four years, U.S. planes dropped 500,000 tons of bombs on Cambodia, more than three times the amount dropped on Japan during World War II.

By the time the U.S. bombing campaign ended in August 1973, the number of Khmer Rouge troops had increased exponentially, and they now controlled approximately three-quarters of Cambodia’s territory. Soon after, they began shelling Phnom Penh with rockets and artillery.

What other war spilled over into Cambodia, playing into the hands of Pol Pot? [Impact of War]

U.S. President Richard M. Nixon also ordered a secret bombing campaign as part of the Vietnam War. Over the span of four years, U.S. planes dropped 500,000 tons of bombs on Cambodia, more than three times the amount dropped on Japan during World War II.

What rebellion showed the weakness of the political system and what bombings weakened the political system

The 1967 Samalaut rebellion lasted three years. This led to Sinahouk’s decline, the urban elite’s relentlessness being shown, and the left’s triumph. By 1970, Lon Nol orchestrated a coup d'etat and by 1974, Pol Pot’s government, the Khmer Rouge, overthrew General Nol. The weakness of Sinahouk’s government invited a power vacuum which the urban elite and leftists took advantage of leading to Pol Pot taking power. In 1966, Cambodia held its first elections after decades being ruled by Shinaouk, the previous prince who abdicated to give himself more power. This election came at a pivotal time after Cambodia had cut ties with the United States in 1963, to the ire of the conservative elites. General Lon Nol won the election by 75% though there were allegations of harassment from the Conservative Party Lon Nol headed.

The weakness of the political system was made worse by United States bombings. U.S. President Richard M. Nixon also ordered a secret bombing campaign as part of the Vietnam War. Over the span of four years, U.S. planes dropped 500,000 tons of bombs on Cambodia, more than three times the amount dropped on Japan during World War II.

Persuasion and coercion

Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge persuaded many peasants it would be better for them. They tapped into deep-seated resentment against the corruption and perceived elitism of the Lon Nol government, which had overthrown Prince Sihanouk. The Khmer Rouge, with Sihanouk's backing after his ousting, presented themselves as a nationalist movement fighting for the liberation of Cambodia from foreign influence and the establishment of a truly independent and equitable society.  

Their ideology, a radical and extreme interpretation of Marxist-Leninism with a strong agrarian focus and a fervent anti-urban and anti-intellectual stance, resonated with some in the countryside who felt marginalized and exploited. The promise of a classless, agrarian utopia, where the peasants were the backbone of the nation, was a powerful persuasive tool. They also capitalized on the instability and widespread suffering caused by the Vietnam War and the extensive US bombing campaigns in Cambodia, portraying themselves as the only force capable of bringing peace and genuine independence.  

Coercion: Forced recruitment into their ranks, often of young and easily indoctrinated individuals, was common. Within the areas they controlled, they enforced strict discipline and swiftly eliminated anyone who opposed them or was deemed an enemy of the revolution.  

The role of leaders: Sihanouk

Sihanouk’s alliance with the Khmer Rouge after his ouster helped legitimize their cause, though he later regretted it. Their ability to forge alliances showed shrewdness, notably with Prince Sihanouk after his overthrow, also broadened their appeal and legitimacy in the eyes of some Cambodians. By forming an alliance with the deposed Sihanouk, who still held considerable popularity among the peasantry, the Khmer Rouge gained a significant boost in legitimacy and recruitment. This strategic partnership allowed them to present their fight against the Lon Nol government not just as a communist revolution but also as a movement to restore the revered monarch, thereby broadening their base of support.

Role of leaders: leaders expertly navigated and benefited from the regional conflicts, parallel administration

The vietnam war with the United States. The instability and devastation caused by these external forces weakened the Lon Nol government and created a chaotic environment that the Khmer Rouge exploited to their advantage. They were able to portray themselves as the only credible force fighting against foreign intervention and capable of bringing peace to the country.

Finally, the leaders were adept at establishing a parallel administration and exercising control in the areas they liberated. They implemented their radical policies on a smaller scale in these zones, providing a, albeit a brutal one, of their future rule. This allowed them to consolidate their power base, indoctrinate the population, and prepare for the eventual takeover of the entire country.

Role of Leaders: Khmer Rouge leaders

At the forefront was Pol Pot (born Saloth Sar), who became the enigmatic and brutal "Brother Number One." His journey from a student in Paris to the absolute leader of the Khmer Rouge was central to the movement's trajectory. Pol Pot, along with other key figures, developed a unique and extreme interpretation of communism, heavily influenced by Maoist and Stalinist thought, but with a distinctly Cambodian focus on radical agrarianism, self-sufficiency, and a fervent anti-foreign, particularly anti-Vietnamese, nationalism. He was the driving force behind the party's secretive nature, its organizational structure, and the implementation of its most radical policies.

Nuon Chea, known as "Brother Number Two," was another pivotal figure. As Pol Pot's most trusted deputy and the chief ideologist, he played a critical role in formulating the party's theoretical framework and implementing its brutal policies. He was deeply involved in the party's internal security apparatus and the purges that characterized the regime.

Ieng Sary, "Brother Number Three," served as the Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs. His role was crucial in garnering international support, particularly from China, which provided essential aid to the Khmer Rouge during their insurgency and rule. Ieng Sary was also involved in the regime's internal affairs and played a part in the persecution of Cambodians living abroad who returned to the country.  

Khieu Samphan, the nominal head of state of Democratic Kampuchea, was often presented as the regime's public face. An economist educated in France, his earlier work on Cambodia's economy and critique of foreign dependency provided an intellectual veneer for some of the Khmer Rouge's policies, particularly their drive for self-sufficiency and the dismantling of the urban economy. While his actual decision-making power relative to Pol Pot and Nuon Chea has been debated, he was undoubtedly a key figure in the leadership hierarchy and publicly defended the regime's actions.

These leaders, bonded by their shared experiences in France and their commitment to a radical transformation of Cambodian society, provided the ideological direction, strategic planning, and organizational capacity that allowed the Khmer Rouge to grow from a small clandestine group into a dominant force. They skillfully exploited the political instability and social discontent in Cambodia, particularly following the 1970 coup and the impact of the Vietnam War.

Ideology in the emergence of the Khmer Rouge

The Khmer Rouge's ideology could be appealing to some rural agrarians. The ideology was rooted in a radical interpretation of communism, emphasizing agrarianism, nationalism, and self-sufficiency. Heavily influenced by Maoist and Stalinist models, it sought to transform Cambodian society through violent upheaval, promoting a return to an agrarian, classless society while vehemently opposing foreign influences, eliminating capitalism, urbanization, and the United States’ bombings. This emphasis on classlessness meant that intellectuals were excommunicated, forced to Labor in horrid conditions or perished under Polpot.

Propaganda

Pol Pot used propaganda that claimed that the bombings done by the United States in Cambodia were sponsored by Lon Nol, inciting villagers against Lon Nol.

The Khmer Rouge based their policies on the idea that citizens of Cambodia had become corrupted by outside influences, especially Vietnam and the capitalist West. The Khmer Rouge referred  to  people  who supported their vision as “pure people,” and persecuted anyone they deemed “impure.”