Norodom Sihanouk (may 1, 1941 – oct 1, 1955)

Description:

Norodom Sihanouk born October 31, 1922, Phnom Penh, Cambodia—died October 15, 2012, Beijing, China, was Cambodia's king twice (1941–55 and 1993–2004), serving as prime minister, head of state, and president. In Cambodia's late-century civil and foreign wars, he strove to chart a neutral course.

Sihanouk pursued a neutral foreign policy. In exchange for a North Vietnamese pledge to preserve Cambodia's borders, he allowed Vietnamese communists to operate secretly from locations in eastern Cambodia. He therefore turned down US aid and backing, trusting on his huge popularity among Cambodians to keep radicals on both the right and left in check. While most of Southeast Asia was in turmoil, Cambodia experienced 15 years of fragile calm and modest prosperity under Sihanouk's benign leadership.

Sihanouk's administration of Cambodian neutrality in the Vietnam War came to an end in 1970, when he was deposed in a US-backed revolution led by General Lon Nol. He then lived in Beijing as the nominal head of an in-exile administration.

Added to timeline:

Date:

Images: