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Cambodia declared independence from France, Prince Sihanouk became the king of a Constitutional Monarchy. They initiated government projects such as infrastructure, roads, and education.
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The U.S began a bombing campaign in Cambodia because they thought that Vietnam soldiers were escaping/fleeing to Cambodia.
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Lon Nol became the Prime Minister of Cambodia against the Prince Norodom Sihanouk. Sihanouk's two offenses in the eyes of the U.S were that he allied with China and he tried to keep Cambodia neutral in the Vietnam war.
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In 1972 Lon Nol declared himself president, prime minister, defense minister, and marshal of the armed forces. The U.S spent 1.85 billion dollars propping up Lon Nol's Regime.
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Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge captured Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. They renamed Cambodia "Democratic Kampuchea." Their goal was to return to the peasant economy with no division.
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Khmer Rouge started evacuating people from the city under the leadership of Pol Pot. People were told they would only be gone 3 days then they could return home. Which took place in Cambodia. Well-to-do people and people from the government would be killed and people who disobeyed what the Khmer Rouge wanted would be killed. Total deaths are estimated at 3 million people who died from disease, famine, or being murdered.
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The Khmer Rouge started to shut down banks, abolish national currency, and confiscate private property. All citizens wore black clothing, meals were communal, and families split up.
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Vietnam sent 60,000 troops just inside the Cambodian border to observe what was really going on.
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Khmer Rouge launched a Campaign where two American and one Scottish journalist were allowed to visit. They were the first outside people to visit Cambodia since 1975. In the end, the Scottish journalist was killed.
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Vietnam launched an invasion of Cambodia. The U.S did not approve of the move to invade Cambodia.
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Phnom Penh fell and Pol Pot stepped down. The Khmer Rouge regime was not over and Pol Pot was replaced by Khieu Samphan who denied genocide but admitted to around 10,000 executions.
