Rise of the Khmer Rouge Essay (Georgia Morrison)

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ACCOUNT FOR THE RISE TO POWER OF THE KHMER ROUGE IN CAMBODIA Intro: The Khmer Rouge’s swift rise to power can be attributed to their profound ability to manipulate the political chaos within Cambodia to their advantage through appealing to the nationalist and xenophobic ideals of the nation in comparison to the incompetence of Sihanouk and the US influence on Lon Nol coupled with the spread of war into Cambodia. Sihanouk’s political incompetence created severe political and economic instability in Cambodia that provided the Khmer Rouge with the perfect conditions to successfully radicalise the countryside. Sihanouk’s disastrous regime coupled with the unpopular US involvement in Lon Nol’s regime resulted in a subsequent civil war that further enabled the eventual rise to power of the Khmer Rouge. The withdrawal of US aid was the final catalyst that debilitated Lon Nol’s regime, and enabled the Khmer Rouge to consolidate their radical communist regime in Cambodia. Therefore, the severe political and economic instability experienced in Cambodia under Sihanouk and Lon Nol coupled with the spread of war into Cambodia and the untimely US withdrawal created the perfect set of conditions for the Khmer Rouge’s rise to power.