Pol Pot

Pol Pot was the leader of the Khmer Rouge, the communist regime that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979.

Under his leadership, the regime evacuated cities, abolished money and private property, and executed perceived enemies—particularly intellectuals and professionals.

An estimated 1.5 to 2 million Cambodians died from execution, starvation, and forced labor.

His name has become shorthand for ideologically driven mass murder.