Khmer Rouge (Democratic Kampuchea)

The Khmer Rouge was a brutal communist regime led by Pol Pot that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 under the name Democratic Kampuchea. They sought to create a classless, agrarian society, resulting in forced evacuations, mass executions, and widespread famine. An estimated 1.7 to 2 million people—about a quarter of the population—died from violence, starvation, or disease. The regime's policies devastated Cambodia's social fabric, leading to one of the most tragic episodes of 20th-century history. It was eventually overthrown by Vietnam, but the scars of their rule remain deeply embedded in Cambodian society.