Activity 1 - Why did the Khmer Republic fall?

  1. Review - Cut out and examine these cards which show the various reasons for the fall of the Khmer Republic.
  2. Rank - Rank these 12 cards in a diamond formation with the most important reasons for defeat at the top, and the least important at the bottom. 
  3. Link - Are any of these reasons linked? Draw arrows between them to show the links between different reasons. 
  4. Discuss - Show your completed diamond formation to a partner and explain your perspective on why the Khmer Republic lost the Cambodian Civil War.
  5. Write - To what extent was the Vietnam War responsible for the rise of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia? Using your notes, write an extended paragraph summarising your perspective on this question.

Activity 2 - Why did the Khmer Rouge win?

  1. Review - Read the two historical perspectives that can be taken on why the Khmer Rouge won the Cambodian Civil War on this worksheet. Then identify key events and historical examples that could be used to support each viewpoint. Use the following sources to help you gather arguments for each perspective:
    1. Short, P. (2004). Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare, Chapter 7 - Fires of Purgation
    2. The Khmer Rouge Gain Strength — United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
    3. Roots of Genocide: New Evidence on the US Bombardment of Cambodia
    4. Nixon, Kissinger, and the Cambodian Civil War   
  2. Evaluate - Which historical perspective do you agree with the most and why? Write a paragraph answer explaining your view on the historiography of the Cambodian Civil War.
  3. Explore - Try to research and identify other perspectives on the Cambodian Civil War. How do people view the war today? What new perspectives have emerged?

Activity 3 - Was CPK ideology popular?

  1. Create - A key reason for the victory of the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot lies in both the popularity of their policies as well as in the drastic manner in which he carried them out. Research the history of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge and create a one-page biography of their rise to power. Include the following:
    1. Early History
    2. Path to Power
    3. Role of Pol Pot
    4. Ideology
    5. Policies
  2. Discuss - What are the similarities and differences between the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot and the CPC under Mao Zedong?

Further Reading

OBLIGATORY READING
  1. Sanders, V. (2015). Access to History: The Cold War in Asia 1945-93, pp. 220-221
RECOMMENDED READING
  1. Short, P. (2004). Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare, Chapter 7 - Fires of Purgation
SUPPLEMENTAL READING
  1. Tully, J. (2005). A Short History of Cambodia: From Empire to Survival, pp. 152-170
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