Video: 'Vietnam: A Television History - Cambodia and Laos [8/11]' (Cambodian coup of 1970 at 18:11)

(Wednesday, March 18, 1970, 1:00 p.m. Indochina Time; during the Cambodian coup of 1970, part of the Cambodian Civil War) — Prince Norodom Sihanouk, Head of State of Cambodia since June 20, 1960, was overthrown today in his absence, Phnom Penh radio announced.

The Southeast Asian country was cut off from the world, except for the broadcasts. The nation’s two commercial airports were closed to all traffic.

Power has apparently been seized by General Lon Nol, the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, and the First Deputy Prime Minister, Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak, a cousin of Prince Sihanouk.

When the announcement of his overthrow was made Prince Sihanouk, who is 47, was in Moscow where he had arrived from Paris five days ago.

The announcement came after a week of anti-Communist rioting, reportedly officially inspired, in which the embassies of North Vietnam and the Vietcong were sacked.

These events moved Cambodia close to open hostility with the Vietnamese Communists, who were operating in large number on the Cambodian side of the long frontier with South Vietnam.