1. The “Very Kind Man” Who Unleashed Genocide
Born into a prosperous family, Pol Pot received an elite education in Cambodia’s best schools, then moved to Paris, where he joined the French Communist Party. He returned to Cambodia, became a French and Geography college professor, and was beloved by his students as a “very kind man“. He often spoke about themes of human decency and kindness, and was described as: “an attractive figure. His deep voice and calm gestures were reassuring. He seemed to be someone who could explain things in such a way that you came to love justice and honesty and hate corruption“. Some students remembered him as “calm, self-assured, smooth featured, honest, and persuasive, even hypnotic when speaking to small groups“. Many of those students became his most enthusiastic followers when he led the Khmer Rouge. They were among the most ruthless executioners of what came to be known as the Cambodian Genocide.
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Where Did We Find This Stuff? Some Sources and Further Reading
Africa Today, Vol. 25, No. 3 (Jul. – Sep., 1978) – The Coronation of Emperor Bokassa
Blunt, Wilifrid – The Dream King: Ludwig II of Bavaria (1970)
Cojean, Annick – Gaddafi’s Harem: The Story of a Young Woman and the Abuses of Power in Libya (2014)
Davis, Brian Lee – Qaddafi, Terrorism, and the Origins of the US Attack on Libya (1990)
Encyclopedia Britannica – Muammar al Qaddafi
Hinton, Alexander Laban – Why Did They Kill: Cambodia in the Shadow of Genocide (2005)
History Collection – This Day in History: Pol Pot Changes Cambodia’s Name to Kampuchea (1976)
King, Greg – The Mad King: The Life and Times of Ludwig II of Bavaria (1996)
Leopold, Mark – Idi Amin: The Story of Africa’s Icon of Evil (2020)
Mad Monarchs – Farouk of Egypt
