Communism and Pol Pot in Cambodia

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Pol Pot was a communist leader in Cambodia from 1975-1979, who brought great destruction and terror to his country and to his people. After Pol Pot gained political control he turned Cambodia into a communist nation. Pol Pot brought devastation to Cambodia through the use of a group named the Khmer Rouge which he used to take control and to install fear into the people of Cambodia. As the leader of Cambodia, Pol Pot destroyed all of Cambodia’s political, economical, and social aspects. Pol Pot’s goal of a classless society in Cambodia was achieved through the use of the Khmer Rouge to install distress of the people in Cambodia. Pol Pot’s Marxist ideals and is control of the Khmer Rouge resulted in a classless society and the lasting economical destruction of Cambodia.
Pol Pot’s interest in Communism sparked in France while he studied Marxism and Mao Zedong’s communist reign. Fatefully, the poor economic system in Cambodia allowed him to take control of the country and gain power. Pol Pot was born in Kompong Thong, Cambodia, a French speaking and cultural society. Pol Pot was raised in a French cultural society and hence was Pol Pot influenced to go to Paris, France for college. In France, Pol Pot began to stray away from his studies and began to focus on his new interest in communism. Pol Pot was influenced by a group of friends who championed communism. “Pol Pot and his inner circle of revolutionaries adopted a Communism based on Maoism and Stalinism, then carried it to extremes”(New York Times Pol Pot) and adopted Marxist ideas to create a classless society. After joining this group, Pol Pot learned more about what communism was and how he could use it to take control and power. Pol Pot and the revolutionary group in France wer...

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...ause of the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge eliminated possible threats through two different tactics. The Khmer Rouge would either kill anyone who posed a threat or scare away possible threats. The Khmer Rouge would kill anyone who tried to speak up or who disobeyed the rules. The Khmer Rouge also frightened so many people that the citizens in Cambodia were too afraid to speak up, stand out, or revolt against Pol Pot. Pol Pot also had, “The Khmer Rouge outlaw money and close all markets”(New York Times Pol Pot). Pol Pot took money so the people could have no power or voice. After taking away the money, Pol Pot had all the power and the only voice was his. Through this Pol Pot was able to control the people. Pol Pot was able to cleverly use the Khmer Rouge to take over Cambodia, install fear in the people, eliminate any possible threats, and silence the people’s voice.

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