- 1. The Khmer Rouge was a radical communist movement that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot and characterized by its extreme ideology which sought to transform Cambodian society into an agrarian socialist utopia. Upon seizing power, the regime sought to eliminate perceived enemies and restore the country to a purportedly idealized version of its past, leading to the forced evacuation of cities, the abolishment of currency, and the systematic execution of intellectuals, professionals, and anyone resembling the so-called bourgeois class. This reign of terror resulted in the horrific genocide where an estimated 1.7 million people, about a quarter of Cambodia's population, perished due to starvation, forced labor, and mass killings in the infamous killing fields. The Khmer Rouge's aggressive policies upended traditional societal structures, causing wide-scale suffering and trauma that would have lasting impacts on Cambodian society and culture. The regime was eventually overthrown in 1979 by the Vietnamese army, which led to a long and complicated conflict, but the legacy of the Khmer Rouge's brutality remains a significant aspect of Cambodian history and identity, continuously influencing national discourse on human rights, justice, and reconciliation.
What year did the Khmer Rouge come to power in Cambodia?
A) 1965 B) 1980 C) 1970 D) 1975
- 2. Who was the leader of the Khmer Rouge?
A) Sihanouk B) Ho Chi Minh C) Lon Nol D) Pol Pot
- 3. What was the capital of Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime?
A) Battambang B) Phnom Penh C) Sihanoukville D) Siem Reap
- 4. What year did the Khmer Rouge fall from power?
A) 1985 B) 1975 C) 1979 D) 1980
- 5. Which country invaded Cambodia and ousted the Khmer Rouge?
A) China B) Thailand C) Laos D) Vietnam
- 6. What term is used to describe the genocide committed by the Khmer Rouge?
A) The Cambodian Revolution B) The Great Leap Forward C) The Cambodian Genocide D) The Khmer Rouge Purge
- 7. What was the Khmer Rouge's stance on urbanization?
A) They built new cities. B) They encouraged urban development. C) They promoted industrialization. D) They forcibly relocated city dwellers to the countryside.
- 8. Which leader succeeded Pol Pot?
A) Prince Norodom Ranariddh B) Hun Sen C) Ieng Sary D) Khieu Samphan
- 9. What was the main agricultural product promoted by the Khmer Rouge?
A) Rice B) Wheat C) Cotton D) Corn
- 10. Which ideology heavily influenced the Khmer Rouge?
A) Maoism B) Libertarianism C) Fascism D) Capitalism
- 11. Who led the charge against the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s?
A) United Nations B) Thai military C) Vietnamese forces D) American forces
- 12. What term describes the mass graves created by the Khmer Rouge?
A) Concentration Camps B) Killing Fields C) Re-education Camps D) Death Camps
- 13. What international tribunal was set up to try former Khmer Rouge leaders?
A) Nuremberg Trials B) Truth and Reconciliation Commission C) International Criminal Court D) Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
- 14. In what year was Pol Pot arrested?
A) 2000 B) 1997 C) 1991 D) 1989
- 15. What was the name of the capital under the Khmer Rouge?
A) Indochina B) Cambodia C) Democratic Kampuchea D) Siam
- 16. What was the fate of many Khmer Rouge leaders post-regime?
A) Elected to parliament B) Given asylum C) Sent to the US D) Tried for crimes against humanity
- 17. What was the notorious prison run by the Khmer Rouge?
A) S-21 (Tuol Sleng) B) Cambodia National Museum C) Royal Palace D) Choeung Ek
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