A History of the Khmer Rouge[insert introduction here]The Khmer Rouge, also known as the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), was a group led by Pol Pot that dictated Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 (Time). This massacre has its roots in the 1940s, when France had its own colonized countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam. In 1954 Vietnam defeated France in the war and gained independence. The new country of Vietnam was divided into two sections: “Communist North Vietnam and pro-Western (US-backed) South Vietnam” (Peace). Soon Vietnam became a battlefield. The Viet Cong, a communist guerrilla group, was supported by North Vietnam, China, and the Soviet Union. America joined the Vietnam War in 1964, bringing bombs, air power and poisonous defoliants. For years the country fought, but the war led to no victory against the strong-willed and committed Vietnamese communists. By the time it ended, the Vietnam War had devastated the country, costing many American and Vietnamese lives, and brought nothing but misery for those caught up in it, including the Cambodians. Vietnam was not the only country fighting for its independence. In 1953, after Cambodia gained independence from France, Prince Norodom Sihanouk became head of state and ruler of Cambodia. The CPK was formed in 1960 out of growing opposition to Sihanouk. In response, Sihanouk called out the Khmer Rouge group, to show that he was not serious about them. The word Khmer Rouge comes from the French word for red added to the people's language (Timeline). Based in isolated forests and mountainous areas in the northeastern part of the country, the group has hardly gained members. Ten years later, Marshal Lon Nol, "a Cambodian politician who had previously served as prime minister...... half of the paper...... the Khmer Rouge: rampant terror." Time 19 April 1976: n. page Print.Chandler, David P. A History of Cambodia 3rd ed. The Cambridge Encyclopedia: Cambridge UP 1990. Print 19 May 2014. Fletcher, Dan. “A Brief History of the Khmer Rouge.” Time. Np, 17 February 2009. Web. 11 May 2014. "GENOCIDE - CAMBODIA - Union Peace Pledge". Cambodia Tribunal Monitor. Np, nd Web. 08 May 2014. “Khmer Rouge Page.” Killing Fields, August 15, 1995. Web, May 21, 2014. “Timeline: The Story of Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge.” PBS, nd Web. May 21, 2014. The editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica. “Khmer Rouge (political group, Cambodia). Encyclopedia Britannica Online, October 22, 2013. Web 2014.