The fall of Phnom Penh to the Khmer Rouge was a significant turning point in Cambodia's turbulent history, marking the end of a prolonged civil conflict between the communist Khmer Rouge and the government forces of Cambodia. Led by Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge commenced military operations that began to intensify in the early 1970s with the goal of overthrowing the then-royal government. Their campaign gained momentum through guerrilla warfare and was supported by an increasing number of rural peasants disillusioned by the socioeconomic conditions of the time. By 1975, the Khmer Rouge had encircled the capital, Phnom Penh, with a growing strength, leading to widespread fear and instability.On April 17, 1975, after a three-year war, the situation culminated in a total breakdown of governmental power when military officials representing the Khmer Rouge entered and seized control of Phnom Penh. The surrender of the Cambodian government forces marked not only the end of an intense civil war but also heralded the beginning of a grim new era under the Khmer Rouge’s radical and brutal regime. The immediate aftermath saw mass evacuations of urban populations as the new regime aimed to transform Cambodia into an agrarian socialist society, forcibly relocating people to the countryside in an attempt to enforce their ideological vision on the Cambodian populace. Millions would face extreme hardships in the following years, leading to one of the darkest chapters in Cambodia’s history.The takeover of Phnom Penh by the Khmer Rouge led to significant regional and international ramifications. The event spurred a humanitarian crisis, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1.7 million people due to forced labor, starvation, and executions in the subsequent years as the regime sought to purge perceived enemies and establish a completely new societal structure.