what would have happened if Lon Nol's republic had been able to defeat the KR
- Thread starter HistoryLovingCat
- Start date
The Khmer Republic is in close to an impossible situation.
You have a domestic economy that is wrecked by hyper inflation, corruption and cronyism. The government has people in senior positions that are clearly unsuited for the job Lon Nol being one.
The military has experienced chronic underinvestment from the Sihanouk years, training was rudimentary at best and the doctrine is sub par. So before we are able to talk about the Khmer Republic surviving the Khmer Rouge, we have to work out how to strengthen the Khmer Republic.
But in the event that the Khmer Republic somehow survives the biggest issue will be how they deal with the newly reunited Communist Vietnam post 1975. Large tracts of eastern Cambodia will remain under Communist rule as they will not withdraw, so best case scenario would be a rump Khmer Republic with tacit support from Thailand to act as a buffer with the Vietnamese.
You have a domestic economy that is wrecked by hyper inflation, corruption and cronyism. The government has people in senior positions that are clearly unsuited for the job Lon Nol being one.
The military has experienced chronic underinvestment from the Sihanouk years, training was rudimentary at best and the doctrine is sub par. So before we are able to talk about the Khmer Republic surviving the Khmer Rouge, we have to work out how to strengthen the Khmer Republic.
But in the event that the Khmer Republic somehow survives the biggest issue will be how they deal with the newly reunited Communist Vietnam post 1975. Large tracts of eastern Cambodia will remain under Communist rule as they will not withdraw, so best case scenario would be a rump Khmer Republic with tacit support from Thailand to act as a buffer with the Vietnamese.