hat time, France was trying to control Cambodia. The independence movement was gradually becoming radicalized. Pol Pot's closest brother joined the Cambodian/Vietnames communists and took Pol Pot with him. However, at this point, Pol Pot began his erratic and independent course.
Pol Pot believed that Cambodia should not rely on learning from others, but should create its own revolutionary path. He believed that the Cambodian people could do anything, noting that the people who created the ancient Angkor Kingdom could do anything. He wanted to build on that ancient Kingdom and regain lost territory from both Thailand and Vietnam. Although he initially worked with the Vietnamese, he harbored a real hatred for that people, which became akin to a racial hatred eventually.
After the French left in 1954, Pol Pot worked his way up the leadership ladder in the Cambodian Communist movement, eventually becoming its head. He led the rebellion against Prince Sihanouk. Sihanouk was ultimately overthrown and replaced by General Lon Nol in 1970. The Khmer Rouge, under Pol Pot, continued to fight until they gained power in 1975 (Kiernan, 1998).
Pilger (1998) contended that it was actually the United States that tilted the balance toward Pol Pot. He indicated that the first phase of Pol Pot's revolution began with the U.S. Invasion of a neutral Cambodia. During the years between 1970 1973, the United States killed many Cambodians while attempting to destroy Vietnamese bases that were reportedly in Cambodian territory. This apparently radicalized the Cambodian nationalist movement and Pol Pot took advantage of that.
The Vietnam War also led to the unjustifiable decision of the United States to support Pol Pot in 1979, after the Vietnamese installed their own government in Cambodia. At that time, the United States backed Pol Pot in order to gain favor with the Chinese and get some revenge against the Vietnamese who had so recent...