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Lon Nol ( November 13, 1913 - November 17, 1985) was a Cambodian politician and former Defence Minister of Cambodia who orchestrated the coup that toppled Prince Norodom Sihanouk on March 18, 1970. Following Sihanouk's exit, American and South Vietnamese forces freely entered Cambodia in their pursuit of Communist units.
Soon the Cambodian Civil War erupted between Nol's government troops and the Khmer Rouge. Nol turned to the Americans for help. On November 18, 1970, US President Richard Nixon responded by asking the United States CongressThe United States Congress is the legislative branch of the United States federal government. The structure and responsibilities of Congress are defined in Article One of the United States Constitution. The United States Congress is bicameral, meaning tha for US$155 million in supplemental aid for the Cambodian government (US$85 million was for military assistance). Although Nol's government did receive the money, it did not stop the Khmer Rouge. There are also accusations of CIA involvement in the 1970 coup.
Lon Nol fled into exile in HawaiiFor the 1959 novel and 1966 movie, see Hawaii (novel). Hawaii ( Hawaiian/ Hawaiian English: Hawai‘i with the ‘okina is the archipelago of the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Hawaii constitutes the 50th state of the United States, and as of the 2000 when the Communists seized power in Cambodia in 1975Events January January 1 Watergate scandal: John N. Mitchell, H. Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman are found guilty of the Watergate cover-up and are sentenced to 30 months to 8 years in jail on February 21 January 5 The Tasman Bridge in Tasmania, Australia, i.
Some believe that his cruel behaviour is linked to his youth, when he had to defend himself against the treatment of the children in his school, leading him to believe that this was the only way to survive.
See also: Cambodia -- Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a war fought between 1957 and 1975 on the ground in South Vietnam and bordering areas of Cambodia and Laos See Secret War) and in bombing runs ( Rolling Thunder) over North Vietnam. See also the timeline of the Vietnam War. Fighting on