The Khmer Rouge: Ideology, Militarism, and the Revolution That Consumed a Generation

(Hardback)

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Description

This book provides a comprehensive yet concise narrative of the history of the Khmer Rouge, from its inception during the 1950s through its eventual reintegration into Cambodian society in 1998. The Khmer Rouge: Ideology, Militarism, and the Revolution That Consumed a Generation examines the entire organizational life of the Khmer Rouge, looking at it from both a societal and organizational perspective. The chapters cover each pivotal period in the history of the Khmer Rouge, explaining how extreme militarism, organizational dynamics, leadership policies, and international context all conspired to establish, maintain, and destroy the Khmer Rouge as an organization. The work goes beyond inspecting the actions of a few key leadership individuals to describe the interaction among different groups of elites as well as the ideologies and culture that formed the structural foundation of the organization.

Reviews

Building on secondary source materials in English, French, and Khmer, the author incorporates archival research and interviews conducted over a three-year period with Khmer Rouge soldiers. Perhaps most relevant to students of military theory, Nhem's book engages with works on military strategy, like that of 19th-century German theorist Carl von Clausewitz. Summing Up: Recommended. * Choice *

Author Bio

Lieutenant Colonel Boraden Nhem is deputy director of the Institute of Military History, General Department of Policy and Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, Kingdom of Cambodia. He also serves as assistant to Gen. Tea Banh, deputy prime minister, and minister of national defense.