Lon Nol

Lon Nol (1913-85), Cambodian general, who headed the country's last regime before the Communist takeover. He was born in Prey Veng Province, attended a French secondary school in Saigon, Vietnam, and entered government service; by 1955 he had become minister of defense under Prince Norodom Sihanouk. He became commander in chief of the armed forces in 1960 and was made prime minister in 1966. Forced to resign in 1967, he was recalled to office in 1969 and the following year led the military overthrow of Prince Sihanouk; in 1972 he proclaimed a Khmer Republic with himself as president. Unable to withstand the Khmer Rouge rebel forces, he fled the country in 1975 and after that lived in exile in Hawaii and California.