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Independence of Cambodia
King Norodom Sihanouk was able to claim independence in just 16 months. Before this he was looking for supporters from Canada, the U.S., and Japan. The French did not want to fight with the Cambodians because they were already at war with Vietnam. This is when they started independence negotiations. -
King Sihanouk Abdicated
King Sihanouk was abdicated in favor of his father who was Norodom Suramarit. His father then became King. He wanted to gain political power as prince and organize his own political movement. -
Cambodia Civil War
In 1970, prince Sihanouk was visiting the Soviet Union. While he was gone, the National Assembly decided to take him away from the office as head of state. Sihanouk was confused and hurt so he took Chinese advice to resist the coup with government-in-exile -
US begins Secret Bombing Campaign
U.S bombers were diverted from attacking south Vietnam so they could potentially attack communist camps and supply areas in Cambodia. The public was not aware of what was happening until after Cambodia was bombed. -
Prime Minister overthrows Sihanouk
The Prime Minister, Lon Nol overthrew Sihanouk while in coup. He sends the army to go fight the North Vietnamese. Sihanouk was in exile in china and forms a guerrilla movement. The Cambodian army loses loses territory while fighting the North Vietnamese and Communist Khmer Rouge guerrillas. -
Lon Nol is Overthrown
Lon Nol was overthrown while the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, was occupying Phnom Penh. Sihanouk was the head of state for a little while and the country was re-named Kampuchea. -
Country re-named Democratic Kampuchea
The country was renamed after Sihanouk resined. Khieu Samphan became head of state which took Sihanouk's place. Pol Pot becomes the prime minister. -
Cambodian Vietnam War
Vietnam launched a full scale invasion of Kampuchea. The war started because Cambodia repeatedly attacked Vietnam. Pol Pot was in charge then and he was the reason why 25% of Cambodias population died. Pol Pot had killed more that 3000 Vietnamese and he exterminated all of the Vietnamese living in Cambodia. -
Vietnamese take Phenom Penh
When this happened Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge forces ran away to the Border region with Thailand. Many things went back to the way they used to be before Khmer Rouge took over. -
Resistance formed
The Khmer Rouge and 2 noncommunist groups were able to form a resistance with Sihanouk as a figurehead leader. The UN thought it was a government forming in Cambodia -
Khmer National Liberation Taken
Vietnam was able to seize and take Khmer National Liberation. They were also able to overwhelm base camps around this area. This happened near the Thai- Cambodian border. This was the biggest dry season offensive in the war. -
Drought
Cambodia was hit by a serious drought. Short seasoned rice crops, which were normally harvested in September, were lost. Only twenty percent of four million acres got planted. The UN launched an appeal for international aid which had rice, rice seed, fertilizer, and insecticides. -
Cambodian Peace Talk in Paris Collapses
There were many deliberations going on in the peace talk. After about a month of deliberations they were not able to come up with a peace plan. There was fighting going on between Norodom Sihanouk and Phenom Penh's Premier, Hun Sen. Sihanouk wanted the Khmer Rouge included in an interim but Hun Sen did not. -
The Largest Peacekeeping Operation.
The U.N Officially started the largest peacekeeping operation when there was an arrival of a diplomat in Cambodia. The UN wanted Cambodia to disarm themselves in four different factions and assemble in UN supervised camps. The Khmer Rouge did not want this to happen but for the first time they did not have any international support. The Khmer Rouge started capturing UN Peacekeepers -
The Mekong Agreement
This agreement created the Mekong Commission with Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam as members. -
Pol Pot Dies
Pol Pot died at the age of 73 on April 15th in the jungles of Cambodia. According to the Khmer Rouge he died in his sleep with a heart attack but others think he was poisoned by one of the Khmer Rouge Colleagues but no one was able to do an autopsy because he was cremated very soon after he died. -
Mekong river Flood
In Cambodia and Vietnam, the Mekong river ended up flooding. At least 89 people died in Cambodia and 8 people died in Vietnam since the floods began. -
PM Hun Sen's party claims victory in elections
In Cambodia, PM Hun Sen's party claimed victory in the general elections. They were saying that they expect to win 73 out of 123 states in Cambodia. They were able to claim victory but fell short of the two thirds needed to govern outright. -
Montagnards handed over to Vietnamese
Cambodia handed over some 107 Montagnards which are a highly christianity hill tribe, to Vietnamese authorities. More than 1000 Montagnards ran away to Cambodia after security forces put down against confiscation and religious persecution. -
Leader of Khmer Rouge charged with crimes
In Cambodia, Nuon Chea, the top surviving leader of the Khmer Rouge was charged with lots of crimes. He was charge with crimes against humanity. He killed an estimated 1.7 million people, and was also charged with war crimes. -
Suspended marriages between South Koreans and Cambodias Citizens
Cambodia's ministry said Cambodia has temporarily stopped marriages between South Koreans and Cambodians to curb human trafficking. -
Two 10th century Cambodia stone Statues moved to their Homeland
Two 10th century cambodian statues were in New York at the Metropolitan Museum of Art were returned to Cambodia in a high profile case of looted aircrafts. -
Well troubles
In Cambodia, seven people died in a well. They ran out of oxygen and they were just trying to retrieve about 75 cents. -
Sam Rainsy Resigns
Sam Rainsy resigned from head of the Cambodia National Rescue party. He had been in exile since 2005 and it was self-imposed. Parliament took away his immunity. -
Hun Sen drops Ballot into box
The Prime Minister, Hun Sen, drops a ballot in a box during a senate election in Takhmao, Cambodia -
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