Ap World History Dbq Essay

Words: 783
Pages: 4

River Aguilar Mrs.Threatt English 10: Period 4 04 September 20XX To collapse a nation 101 Shortly before the American Vietnam war had ended, a man named Pol Pot had taken power over Cambodia and led to an almost total societal collapse. The Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, a totalitarian regime. Seized power in Cambodia on April 17th, 1975, initiating one of the most brutal genocides in history. Their agenda was aimed at transforming Cambodia into an agrarian utopia that led to the forced relocation of millions of people from urban areas to the countryside. This mass displacement, combined with harsh labor conditions and widespread persecution, resulted in the deaths of approximately 1.7 million Cambodians from starvation, disease, and execution. …show more content…
For example, it is stated in Proquests research article on the Khmer Rouge, “Foremost among them was a longstanding essential component of Cambodian culture, Buddhism. Deprived of Buddhism’s ancient wisdom for enduring hardships, Cambodians are now even more ill-equipped to survive” (Proquest 2). This quote emphasizes the loss of religion in Cambodian culture as the Khmer Rouge had seized power and killed those not adhering to their new law. Another quote to further support this statement comes from an article from Ebsco that states, “Ethnic minorities faced particular persecution. Christian and Buddhist groups were targeted for repression but it was the Cham Muslim group that was most affected by the genocide” (Epsco 1). This quote helps further prove my statement by highlighting the ethnic groups that the Khmer Rouge had begun to target in Cambodian society. Another effect of the genocide was the economic disaster that occurred as a result of the genocide. For example, one article states, ”That Cambodia no longer had a system of currency or a market for international trade further hindered its war-ravaged economy and added to a general tone of