Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Pol Pot
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
Pol Pot, 1980 Skulls of Khmer Rouge victims Pol Pot, 1980
Quizzes
Mao Zedong
Dictators of the 20th Century Quiz
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
Pol Pot, 1980
Pol Pot, 1980 The Cambodian communist leader Pol Pot headed the Khmer Rouge and orchestrated the Cambodian genocide.

Pol Pot

Cambodian political leader
Also known as: Saloth Sar
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

Pol Pot (born May 19, 1925, Kompong Thom province, Cambodia—died April 15, 1998, near Anlong Veng, along the Cambodia-Thailand border) was a Khmer political leader who led the Khmer Rouge totalitarian regime (1975–79) in Cambodia that imposed severe hardships on the Cambodian people. His radical communist government forced the mass evacuations of cities, killed up to three million people during the Cambodian genocide (1976–78), and left a legacy of brutality and impoverishment. The son of...

Discover the world with Britannica

Subscribe to Continue Reading

Free Trial | No Ads | Exclusive Content
Explore Subscriptions
DNA
Right
Mobile