S3 Ep2: The Invasion - Part Two: A Vietnamese War In Cambodia
Why did Nixon invade Cambodia in May 1970?
What impact did the 'Cambodian Incursion' have on the war in Vietnam?
How did this effect Cambodia?
Time Period Covered: May - June 1970
In part two of our discussion about the situation in Cambodia after the coup which pushed Sihanouk from power, we see how the Nixon Whitehouse responded to the crisis facing Cambodia.
Lachlan asks whether the decision that Nixon and Kissinger made was the right one, or whether there was a correct answer. We look at the circumstances which brought about the decision, what options were on the table, and the impact that Nixon's speech which announced the 'incursion' had. Then we look at the 'Cambodia Campaign' itself, discussing the fighting which overtakes much of the country, and the outcomes this had in the short, and long term.
Remember, if you can, to please support the show at www.shadowsofutopia.com/support
Sources:
Chandler “Tragedy of Cambodian History”
Short “Pol Pot”
Shawcross “Sideshow”
Kamm “Report from a Stricken Land”
Sak Satsukhan “The Khmer Republic at War”
Wilfred Deac “Road to the Killing Fields”
Walter Isaacson “Kissinger”
Kiernan “How Pol Pot Came to Power”
Etcheson “Rise and Demise of Democratic Kampuchea”
James Sterba "G.I's in Cambodia" (New York Times)
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1:45:24
S3 Ep1: The Invasion - Part One: Counting Bodies Floating Down the Mekong
What was the crisis facing the new Cambodian Government in April 1970?
Why were the Vietnamese communities subjected to massacres?
What circumstances led to a US invasion into Cambodia?
Time Period Covered: April 1970
In this episode Lachlan explores the horrible aftermath of the coup against Sihanouk, a panicked new regime produced a pogrom against an innocent group of civilians. The Communist Vietnamese armies take much of the countryside. Journalists disappear as they report on the Vietnam War which had spilled over the border. The Nixon Whitehouse faces a decision.
Apologies for the abrupt ending, part two is basically done and will be out soon!
Please consider supporting the show at https://www.patreon.com/shadowsofutopia
Check out https://www.mekongriverpress.com/mekong-river-press
Sources
Chandler “Tragedy of Cambodian History”
Short “Pol Pot”
Shawcross “Sideshow”
Kamm “Report from a Stricken Land”
Sak Satsukhan “The Khmer Republic at War”
Wilfred Deac “Road to the Killing Fields”
Walter Isaacson “Kissinger”
Kiernan “How Pol Pot Came to Power”
Etcheson “Rise and Demise of Democratic Kampuchea”
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1:22:24
S2 Ep19: Season 2 Recap - Cambodian History from Independence to Civil War
Lachlan takes you back through the more than 30 hours of Season 2's storyline that took us through 15 years of Cambodian history.
Support the show at https://www.shadowsofutopia.com/support.html
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1:06:47
S2 Ep18: A Cambodian Coup! The "Red Prince" Falls
Were the CIA responsible for the coup against Sihanouk?
Why did Lon Nol and Sirik Matak finally make a move against the prince?
What did Sihanouk’s removal from power mean for the Khmer Rouge?
Time Period Covered 1969 - 1970
In the final episode of this season, Lachlan covers the circumstances that surround the plot to remove Norodom Sihanouk from his position as head of state. Lon Nol and Sirik Matak will take advantage of the problem of Vietnamese troop presence on Cambodian land and turn it into a political necessity to oust the Prince. They would make several miscalculations which would mean that this plan would largely backfire, as Sihanouk joins a resistance front with who he thinks are the Khmer Rouge, as well as the Vietnamese and recieving Chinese aid. Lon Nol’s new government will have to resort to terrible measures to try and deliver on their promises.
Please consider supporting the show at https://www.patreon.com/shadowsofutopia
Sources
Chandler “Tragedy of Cambodian History” and “Brother Number One”
Short “Pol Pot”
Shawcross “Sideshow”
Heder “Cambodian Communism”
Sihanouk “My War With The CIA”
Osbourne “Sihanouk”
Jagel “Khmer Nationalist”
Haing Ngor “Survival in the Killing Fields”
Kamm “Report from a Stricken Land”
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1:55:23
S2 Ep17: Death From Above 1969: Operation Menu and Nixon's Madman Theory
How did Cambodia become the ‘key’ to Nixon’s plan to end the Vietnam War?
What was the secret bombing of Cambodia?
How many bombs did the US drop on Cambodia?
What factors led to the end of Sihanouk’s leadership of the country?
Time Period Covered 1968 - 1969
In this episode Lachlan looks at the gradually degrading situation in Cambodia, and the destabilization prior to a change in the Whitehouse that will only make matters worse. We look at Sihanouk’s movies, the Cambodian economy, and the Khmer Rouge as they continue their ‘armed struggle’ across the country. Nixon’s ascension to power in the USA is explored, his plans for a quick end to the Vietnam War, and the role that Cambodia could play in producing this. Bombing, done in secret, is explained, as well as some comments on the general discourse around the idea of ‘bombs over Cambodia’.
Check out the YouTube Channel at https://youtu.be/8QdRvpbMr_w?si=vTEurMs6dDEmjjHI
Sources
Short “Pol Pot”
Chandler “Tragedy of Cambodian History”
Shawcross “Sideshow”
Mark Atwood Lawrence “Concise History of the Vietnam War”
Kiernan “How Pol Pot Came To Power”
Osbourne “Sihanouk”
Heder “Cambodian Communism and the Vietnamese Model”
Article Links
https://quillette.com/2023/12/07/kissinger-and-cambodia/
https://gsp.yale.edu/case-studies/cambodian-genocide-program/us-involvement/united-states-bombing-cambodia-1965-1973
Support
https://www.patreon.com/shadowsofutopia
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