Francois Hollande vs Pol Pot

Hollande defeated incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy in the presidential election, winning 51.6% of the vote. His campaign promised to renegotiate the EU fiscal compact, raise taxes on the wealthy, and stimulate growth, marking a shift to the left.

Hollande's government passed the law allowing same-sex marriage and adoption, making France the 14th country to do so. The law faced strong opposition from conservative groups and sparked large protests, but was upheld by the Constitutional Council.

Hollande declared a state of emergency and ordered airstrikes against ISIS in Syria after coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris killed 130 people. He also proposed a constitutional amendment to strip convicted terrorists of French citizenship.

Pol Pot became the leader of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (Khmer Rouge). He began building a secretive organization dedicated to establishing a radical agrarian communist state in Cambodia.

Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh, ending the Cambodian Civil War. Pol Pot's regime immediately began evacuating the city, forcing millions into rural labor camps. This marked the start of the Cambodian genocide.

Pol Pot declared 'Year Zero,' abolishing money, markets, and schools. The regime forced the entire population into agricultural communes, abolished religion, and executed intellectuals. This led to mass starvation and death.

Under Pol Pot's leadership, the Khmer Rouge regime systematically killed an estimated 1.5 to 2 million Cambodians through execution, forced labor, and starvation. The regime targeted intellectuals, ethnic minorities, and political opponents.

Vietnamese forces invaded Cambodia and captured Phnom Penh, overthrowing the Khmer Rouge regime. Pol Pot fled to the Thai border, where he continued to lead a guerrilla insurgency for years.