In the Shadows of Utopia: The Khmer Rouge and the Cambodian Nightmare S3 Ep5: Chenla II: Lon Nol Strikes Out
Aug 11, 2025
01:37:15
What was the political fallout from Lon Nol's Stroke?
How did race and religion become such a key theme of his regime?
What led to the worst military defeat of the Cambodian Civil War?
Time Period Covered: March - December 1971
In this episode, Lon Nol returns to Cambodia after recoving from a mild stroke in Hawaii. While many hoped he might step aside, and that the US might provoke a change in leadership, Lon Nol remained in power. His little brother's influence grew, and his obsession with race and religion became even more pronounced. Amongst the Vietnam War playing out on Cambodian land, the carnage of American bombs became a regular occurrence. Meanwhile, politics in Phnom Penh leaned toward a military dictatorship. By the end of the year, the Khmer Republic had to face its worst military defeat, one that it would not recover from.
Check out www.shadowsofutopia.com/episodes/ for maps and diagrams
Sources:
Wilfred Deac The Road to the Killing Fields
Craig Etcheson The Rise and Demise of Democratic Kampuchea
Sat Sutsakhan The Khmer Republic at War
Elizabeth Becker When The War Was Over
David Chandler The Tragedy of Cambodian History
Henry Kamm Report From a Stricken Land
How did race and religion become such a key theme of his regime?
What led to the worst military defeat of the Cambodian Civil War?
Time Period Covered: March - December 1971
In this episode, Lon Nol returns to Cambodia after recoving from a mild stroke in Hawaii. While many hoped he might step aside, and that the US might provoke a change in leadership, Lon Nol remained in power. His little brother's influence grew, and his obsession with race and religion became even more pronounced. Amongst the Vietnam War playing out on Cambodian land, the carnage of American bombs became a regular occurrence. Meanwhile, politics in Phnom Penh leaned toward a military dictatorship. By the end of the year, the Khmer Republic had to face its worst military defeat, one that it would not recover from.
Check out www.shadowsofutopia.com/episodes/ for maps and diagrams
Sources:
Wilfred Deac The Road to the Killing Fields
Craig Etcheson The Rise and Demise of Democratic Kampuchea
Sat Sutsakhan The Khmer Republic at War
Elizabeth Becker When The War Was Over
David Chandler The Tragedy of Cambodian History
Henry Kamm Report From a Stricken Land