Sihanouk

Sihanouk, born Norodom Sihanouk, was a Cambodian royal and politician who served as the King of Cambodia from 1941 until his forced abdication in 1955. He was the last monarch of Cambodia before the country became a communist state in 1975. Sihanouk's reign was marked by significant political and social changes, including the establishment of the Sangkum Reastr Niyum (SRN) party, which aimed to unite the country under a single political ideology.

In 1953, Sihanouk signed the Geneva Accords, which ended the First Indochina War and granted Cambodia independence from France. However, his government faced internal strife and external pressures, leading to his forced abdication in 1955. Sihanouk went into exile in Beijing, where he remained until 1970, when he returned to Cambodia and became the head of state.

During the Khmer Rouge regime, Sihanouk was imprisoned and later exiled to Beijing again. He returned to Cambodia in 1993 and served as the President of Cambodia until his death in 2012. Sihanouk's legacy is complex, with supporters praising his efforts to modernize Cambodia and critics accusing him of being a puppet of the Vietnamese and Chinese governments. His reign and subsequent political career have left a lasting impact on Cambodian history.