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.
The Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh, the capital of the Khmer Republic, ending the Cambodian Civil War and establishing
The Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh, the capital of the Khmer Republic, ending the Cambodian Civil War and establishing the socialist state of Democratic Kampuchea.
On April 17, in the year 1975, The Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh, the capital of the Khmer Republic, ending the Cambodian Civil War and establishing the socialist state of Democratic Kampuchea. This event is recorded as a Selected Events event in the history of April 17, one of 401 recorded events on this date across all of history.
Key Facts
- This event took place on April 17, 1975 (AD era).
- It is categorised as a Selected Events event in recorded history.
- Referenced in 5 Wikipedia articles.
- Wikipedia source last updated on 12 April 2026.
On This Date in History 401
This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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