Khmer Rouge (period)

The Khmer Rouge was a radical communist regime that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot. They aimed to transform the country into an agrarian socialist society, resulting in extreme measures like forced labor, mass evacuations, and the abolition of money and private property. Intellectuals, professionals, and anyone perceived as a threat were targeted, leading to the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people from execution, starvation, and forced labor. The regime fell in 1979 when Vietnam invaded Cambodia, but its impact on the country was profound and remains a significant part of Cambodian history.