Context : Upon coming to power in Cambodia in 1975, the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, established a communist regime with racist and xenophobic policies, particularly toward the Vietnamese, who were viewed as historical enemies. Consequently, an anti-Vietnamese campaign was launched, involving mass expulsions, massacres, and the suppression of Vietnamese culture. Pol Pot held the Vietnamese responsible for all of Cambodia's misfortunes, much as Hitler did the Jews. These actions, combined with Khmer military incursions into Vietnamese border villages, prompted Vietnam to declare war on Cambodia in 1978, despite both nations being communist, and Hanoi finally overthrew the Khmer Rouge in 1979, putting an end to Phnom Penh's xenophobic policies. #history