How does Cambodian Independence day originate in November 1953? What does the First Indochina War look like in Cambodia? How does a young Pol Pot 'join the maquis'?



Time Period Covered January – December 1953



This episode explains the actions of King Sihanouk that one French General declared were ‘that of a madman, but a madman of genius’. Almost out of the blue the Cambodian king will claim independence for his country and end almost a century of French colonial rule. Meanwhile, the First Indochina War will bring its ruin to the Cambodian countryside and Saloth Sar will join the communist struggle against the French in the jungles.



Sources

Philip Short Pol Pot: History of a Nightmare

David Chandler The Tragedy of Cambodian History

Milton Osbourne Sihanouk

Christopher Goscha Vietnam A New History

Ben Kiernan Viet Nam

Edward Miller ​The Vietnam War



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