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Cambodia - Japanese Occupation of World War II

Last modified: 2011-02-25 by ian macdonald
Keywords: cambodia | khmer | japan | world war ii |
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[Supposed Cambodia flag WWII] unattributed contribution


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Description of the flag

I know a quite dubious flag used under Japanese control between 1942 and 1945: red with a white map of the Angkor Wat. No coat of arms is known.
unattributed


The circumstances surrounding the situation of Japanese occupation are somewhat different than in some other of the Japanese occupied territories. The French colonial government in Indochina was under the control of the Vichy government, and at the urging of the German government signed an agreement with Japan giving them movement through the transport hubs of the region. The French were compelled to cede 1/3 of Cambodia to Thailand in March 1941 and Japan stationed a garrison in Cambodia of 8,000 troops.

As an occupying force, the events center on March 9, 1945, when the Japanese troops overthrew the French colonial government in hope that the local population would support the promise of independence. Four days later Cambodia declared its independence from France. Plans were put into place to incorporate a 5,000 man local volunteer army to assist the Japanese troops in preserving order, but the war ended before any further plans could be developed.
Phil Nelson, 2 September 2003