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Khmer People's Revolutionary Party created
In 1951 the Indochinese Communist Party was split into three separate parties in Cambodia, Lao and Vietnam. At this time, the communist party in Camodia was called the Khmer People's Revolutionary Party (KPRP). This party was separate from the Indochinese Communist Party but still influenced by it. -
KPRP renamed
After a secret meeting attended by 21 leaders of the KPRP, the Khmer People's Revolutionary Party was renamed the Worker's Party of Kampuchea. A new party structure was adopted and Tou Samouth was appointed the general secretary of the Party. Nuon Chea was appointed his deputy. Pol Pot was given the third highest ranking position.This date would later be regarded as the birth of the party. -
Party leader Tou Samouth murdered
Tou Samouth disappeared in 1962 under highly suspicious circumstances. Most historians assume he was murdered by the police of the leader at the time, Sihanouk. However, other sources suggest that Pol Pot and his allies may have arranged Samounth's death in order to aid Pol Pot's rise to power. -
Pot Pot becomes leader of party
The Worker's Party of Kampuchea held a Party Congress that officially named Pol Pot as Tou Samouth's successor and leader of the party. -
Pol Pot leaves Phnom Penh for Ratanakiri
Pol Pot and the majority of the Party's leaders left the city of Phnom Penh to form an insurgent base in the northeast of Cambodia, in the Ratanakiri province. -
Renamed Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK)
In 1966, shortly after Pol Pot returned from a visit to China, the Worker's Party of Kampuchea was renamed the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK). This change was kept a secret from almost everyone but party members for many years. Also during this time, Prince Norodom Sihanouk, leader of Cambodia, began to refer to the CPK as the Khmer Rouge. -
Khmer Rouge begins insurgency
During 1968, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge began a full-scale insurgent movement across Cambodia. The guerilla arm of the Communist Party of Kampuchea was named the Revolutionary Army of Kampuchea. The Vietnamese supported Revolutionary Army experienced little opposition as the the Royal Cambodian Army was unable to effectively oppose it. -
Sihanouk deposed by Lon Nol in military coup
Lieutenant-General Lon Nol initially aimed to apply pressure on Sihanouk to strengthen Cambodia's psotion against the North Vietnamese. However, he was compelled by politician Sirik Matak to organise a vote in the national assembly to remove Sihanouk from power. The assembly voted to remove Sihanouk and Lon Nol assumed power as president of Cambodia. -
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Khmer Rouge gain popularity
During 1973 the Communist Party of Kampuchea gained popularity as many Cambodians were opposed to the rule of Lon Nol. The CPK had de facto rule over much of rural Cambodia at this time. Many historians believe that the American bombing of areas in rural Cambodia from 1965-1973 increased support for the Khmer Rouge. -
Khmer Rouge bombed Phnom Penh
Four months before Khmer Rouge troops entered the city, The Khmer Rouge bombed the city of Phnom Penh, causing mass devastation. -
The Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh
The Khmer Rouge forces of over 700 000 men overcame Lon Nol's governemnt, the Khmer Republicand proceeded to march upon the city of Phnom Penh. The Khmer Rouge came to refer to this day as day one of Year Zero. A few days after entering Phnom Penh, the Khmer Rouge murdered all members of the Khmer Republic and began to evacuate all Cambodian citizens out of Phnom Penh and other cities to agricultural areas. Thousands of people died during the evacuations. -
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Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia
The Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia lasted for four years. It is estimated that the regime caused the deaths of 1.7 to 2 million people through execution, torture, starvation and slavery. After the regime ended in 1979, Cambodia was ruled by the Vietnamese for the next decade. -
Tuol Sleng prison established
A building previously used as a highschool in Phnom Penh was converted by the Khmer Rouge into a prison and interrogation centre. The prison that came to be known as S-21 became the site for the torture and execution of 17 000 Cambodians during the regime. -
State of Democratic Kampuchea created
The Khmer Rouge proclaimed the constitution of the new state of Democratic Kampuchea, abolishing the Royal Government of the National Union of Kampuchea which had been created in 1970. At this time, the Khmer Rouge also proclaimed their Four Year Plan. This consisted of a plan to collectivise all property and devote the citizens of the country to national rice production. -
Pol Pot publicly declared existence of Khmer Rouge
During its first two years in power, the identity of the leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime was a closely guarded secret. The leaders and the party itself were only referred to as Angkar, meaning 'The Organisation'. Eventually Pol Pot revealled the identity of the party in a lengthy speech. During the speech Pol Pot stressed the separation of the CPK from the Vietnamese Communist Party. -
Pol Pot ordered invasion of Vietnam
Pol Pot's paranoia of Vietnam, along with the animosity between the two nations, heightened his fear of an imminent Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia. As a pre-emptive measure, Pol Pot ordered Khmer Rouge forces to cross the border and attack villages in Vietnam. The first attack was on the border area Ba Chuc and of the 3000 villagers in the community at the time, only two survived the attack. This resulted in a series of clashes between Cambodia and Vietnam which caused the deaths of thousands. -
Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia
After years of border clashes, relations between Vietnam and Cambodia deteriorated completely in December 1978. 100 000 Vietnamese troops fought their way into Cambodia, supported by the United Front for International Salvation. They quickly established themselves in the northeast of Vietnam, before marching on to major cities such as Phnom Penh. -
Vietnamese capture Phnom Penh ending Khmer Rouge regime
After entering Cambodia in December 1978, Vietnamese troops reached Phnom Penh in 1979 and captured Cambodia's capital. Leaders of the Khmer Rouge were forced into exile in the outer regions of Cambodia.
