# Canonical recap data for Khmer Rouge Establishes Kampuchea (1975)
# Source: https://recap.at/1975/khmer-rouge-takeover
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: khmer-rouge-takeover
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1975/khmer-rouge-takeover"
title: Khmer Rouge Establishes Kampuchea
aliases:
- Democratic Kampuchea
- Kampuchea
- Pol Pot regime
- Year Zero
subtitle: The Khmer Rouge takeover initiated one of the 20th century's most devastating genocides, killing approximately two million Cambodians in a failed agrarian utopia.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1975-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1975
decade: 1970
country:
name: Cambodia
slug: cambodia
summaryShort: Khmer Rouge is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), and by extension to Democratic Kampuchea, which ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. The name was coined in the 1960s by Norodom Sihanouk to describe his country's heterogeneous, communist-led dissidents, with whom h
summaryLong: Khmer Rouge is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), and by extension to Democratic Kampuchea, which ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. The name was coined in the 1960s by Norodom Sihanouk to describe his country's heterogeneous, communist-led dissidents, with whom he allied after the 1970 Cambodian coup d'état.
lede: On April 17, 1975, the Khmer Rouge, a communist faction led by Pol Pot, seized control of Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh and established Democratic Kampuchea. Over the next four years, the regime's radical agrarian ideology and brutal enforcement would result in the deaths of approximately 1.7 to 2 million people—roughly a quarter of Cambodia's population.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Flag_of_Democratic_Kampuchea.svg/1280px-Flag_of_Democratic_Kampuchea.svg.png"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Khmer Rouge"
importance: 84
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Date of takeover
  value: April 17, 1975
- label: Capital seized
  value: Phnom Penh
- label: Leader
  value: Pol Pot (Saloth Sâr)
- label: Estimated deaths during regime
  value: 1.7–2 million people
- label: Percentage of Cambodia's population killed
  value: ~25%
- label: Duration of rule
  value: 1975–1979 (3 years, 8 months)
- label: Previous government
  value: Khmer Republic (1970–1975)
- label: Ideology
  value: Agrarian communism; anti-urban, anti-intellectual
timeline:
- date: 1953-11-09
  title: Cambodia gains independence
  description: Cambodia becomes independent from France, with Norodom Sihanouk as head of state.
- date: 1960-09-30
  title: Communist Party of Kampuchea founded
  description: CPK is established as the formal communist organization; Pol Pot joins the party around this time.
- date: 1970-03-18
  title: Sihanouk overthrown; Khmer Republic established
  description: General Lon Nol's coup removes Sihanouk, triggering civil war as Khmer Rouge and Vietnamese communists gain ground.
- date: 1975-04-17
  title: Khmer Rouge captures Phnom Penh
  description: Communist forces enter the capital, forcing the collapse of the Khmer Republic. Pol Pot becomes de facto leader; the regime declares 'Year Zero.'
- date: 1975-05-01
  title: Democratic Kampuchea officially proclaimed
  description: Khmer Rouge formally establishes Democratic Kampuchea as the new state, with Pol Pot as Prime Minister from 1976.
- date: 1975-06-01
  title: Mass forced relocations begin
  description: Urban populations are forcibly evacuated to agricultural communes; intellectuals, professionals, and ethnic minorities targeted for persecution.
- date: 1977-01-01
  title: New Constitution adopted
  description: Regime formally adopts Constitution of Democratic Kampuchea; intensification of purges within party ranks accelerates.
- date: 1978-01-01
  title: Vietnamese invasion preparations
  description: Border clashes escalate between Khmer Rouge and Vietnam; internal purges reach peak intensity as Pol Pot consolidates power.
- date: 1979-01-07
  title: Vietnamese forces capture Phnom Penh
  description: Vietnamese army and Cambodian defectors overthrow the Khmer Rouge regime; Pol Pot flees to Thai border regions.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Rouge"
  title: Khmer Rouge
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: the-new-york-times
  headline: Cambodian Communists Seize Capital; Prince Sihanouk's Government Falls
  publishedAt: 1975-04-17
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: Khmer Rouge forces entered Phnom Penh on Thursday, ending a five-year civil war and establishing communist rule over Cambodia. The takeover marked the fall of the U.S.-backed government and Prince Norodom Sihanouk's return to the country after years in exile.
  significance: 88
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: The Times
  publisherSlug: the-times
  headline: Red Army Takes Cambodia; Phnom Penh Falls to Communist Forces
  publishedAt: 1975-04-18
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: Communist forces claiming to represent the Khmer Rouge have consolidated control of the Cambodian capital after driving out government troops. Foreign observers remain uncertain about the ideology and intentions of the revolutionary movement now governing the nation.
  significance: 85
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Agence France-Presse
  publisherSlug: agence-france-presse
  headline: Les Khmers rouges proclament la Republique Democratique de Kampuchea
  publishedAt: 1975-04-17
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: "FR: 'Les Khmers rouges proclament la Republique Democratique de Kampuchea' / EN: The Khmer Rouge proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Kampuchea following their military victory. The new regime signaled radical social transformation under communist leadership."
  significance: 82
  type: newspaper
  region: France
- publisher: BBC
  publisherSlug: bbc
  headline: Communist Victory in Cambodia Raises Questions Over Refugee Crisis
  publishedAt: 1975-04-19
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - The Khmer Rouge takeover has triggered mass civilian displacement as thousands attempt to flee the capital. Western governments expressed alarm over the humanitarian situation unfolding in Southeast Asia.
  significance: 78
  type: radio
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Der Spiegel
  publisherSlug: der-spiegel
  headline: "Kambodscha: Im Griff der Roten Khmer"
  publishedAt: 1975-04-21
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: "DE: 'Kambodscha: Im Griff der Roten Khmer' / EN: Cambodia in the Grip of the Red Khmer. German analysts questioned whether the new communist state would align with China or Vietnam, potentially reshaping Cold War dynamics in Indochina."
  significance: 76
  type: magazine
  region: West Germany
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Flag_of_Democratic_Kampuchea.svg/1280px-Flag_of_Democratic_Kampuchea.svg.png"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Flag_of_Democratic_Kampuchea.svg/800px-Flag_of_Democratic_Kampuchea.svg.png"
  caption: Khmer Rouge
  credit: Wikipedia · "Khmer Rouge"
  width: 330
  height: 220
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Gunnar_Bergstrom_pictured_with_a_photograph_of_his_meeting_with_Khmer_Rouge_%28cropped%29.webp/1280px-Gunnar_Bergstrom_pictured_with_a_photograph_of_his_meeting_with_Khmer_Rouge_%28cropped%29.webp"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Gunnar_Bergstrom_pictured_with_a_photograph_of_his_meeting_with_Khmer_Rouge_%28cropped%29.webp/800px-Gunnar_Bergstrom_pictured_with_a_photograph_of_his_meeting_with_Khmer_Rouge_%28cropped%29.webp"
  caption: Gunnar Bergstrom pictured with a photograph of his meeting with Khmer Rouge (cropped)
  credit: Nem Sopheakpanha
  width: 447
  height: 320
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Gunnar_Bergstrom_pictured_with_a_photograph_of_his_meeting_with_Khmer_Rouge.webp/1280px-Gunnar_Bergstrom_pictured_with_a_photograph_of_his_meeting_with_Khmer_Rouge.webp"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Gunnar_Bergstrom_pictured_with_a_photograph_of_his_meeting_with_Khmer_Rouge.webp/800px-Gunnar_Bergstrom_pictured_with_a_photograph_of_his_meeting_with_Khmer_Rouge.webp"
  caption: Gunnar Bergstrom pictured with a photograph of his meeting with Khmer Rouge
  credit: Nem Sopheakpanha
  width: 650
  height: 366
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Gunnar_Bergstrom_pictured_with_a_photograph_of_the_Khmer_Rouge.webp/1280px-Gunnar_Bergstrom_pictured_with_a_photograph_of_the_Khmer_Rouge.webp"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Gunnar_Bergstrom_pictured_with_a_photograph_of_the_Khmer_Rouge.webp/800px-Gunnar_Bergstrom_pictured_with_a_photograph_of_the_Khmer_Rouge.webp"
  caption: Gunnar Bergstrom pictured with a photograph of the Khmer Rouge
  credit: Nem Sopheakpanha
  width: 650
  height: 366
impactStatement: The Khmer Rouge takeover triggered one of the 20th century's most severe genocides, dismantling urban society, targeting intellectuals and ethnic minorities, and destabilizing Southeast Asia for years. The regime's collapse in 1979 left Cambodia devastated, with consequences for regional geopolitics that persisted through Cold War tensions and beyond.
categories:
- revolution
taxonomy:
domain: political
eventTypes:
- regime_change
- revolution
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- governance
- collapse
impactRadius: regional
velocity: sudden
predictability: emergent
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: birth
metaDescription: Khmer Rouge seizes Cambodia in 1975, establishing Democratic Kampuchea and initiating genocide that killed ~2 million people.
wikidataQid: Q191764
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260605192209/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Rouge"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-05
  label: Khmer Rouge
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Rouge"
