Birth of Lon Nol
Birth of Lon Nol in Prey Veng Province
Role range: 1913-1985
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Lon Nol Biography and Timeline
Follow Lon Nol through 68 dated historical records for Kampuchea.
Lon Nol, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
68Distinct records
1 of 2Page
1913–1970Years on this page
1913
1937
Magistrate Appointed
Begins work as a magistrate in the French colonial administration
Role range: 1937-1945
1945
Kratie Governorship
Serves as provincial governor as Japanese power collapses in Indochina
Role range: 1945-1945
1946
Provincial Security Role
Continues administrative and security work during the restored French protectorate
Role range: 1946-1949
1949
Administrative Director
Works in Phnom Penh as director of administrative service
Role range: 1949-1952
1951
Chief of Police Appointed
Becomes Chief of Police during the late protectorate period
Role range: 1951-1955
1952
Military Service Begins
Moves into the army with command of an infantry battalion
Role range: 1952-1975
1953
Infantry Command
Commands Cambodian troops during the closing phase of the First Indochina War
Role range: 1946-1954 – 1952-1975
1954
Post-Independence Army Role
Continues building influence inside the Cambodian armed forces after independence
Role range: 1952-1975
1955
Chief of Staff Appointed
Appointed Army Chief of Staff in Phnom Penh
Role range: 1955-1960
1959
Defence Minister Appointed
Begins a long term as Minister of National Defence
Role range: 1959-1966
1960
Commander in Chief Appointed
Becomes commander in chief of Cambodia's armed forces
Role range: 1960-1975
1961
Anti-Communist Security
Directs security policy against clandestine communist networks
Role range: 1960-1975
1962
Tou Samouth Suppression
Military intelligence under Lon Nol is linked to suppression of early CPK leadership
Role range: 1960-1975
1963
Deputy Premiership
Becomes a senior right-wing figure inside Sihanouk's government
Role range: 1963-1966
1964
Border Security Policy
Oversees military security while Cambodia tries to maintain neutrality
Role range: 1959-1966
1965
Armed Forces Modernization
Continues efforts to strengthen Cambodian forces before the civil war
Role range: 1959-1966
1966
First Cabinet Formed
Forms a conservative government under the Sangkum political system
Role range: 1966-1967
Prime Minister Appointed
Appointed Prime Minister of Cambodia for his first term
Role range: 1966-1967
1967
First Premiership Ends
Resigns after injury and political pressure from his first premiership
Role range: 1966-1967
Samlaut Repression
Government forces suppress unrest linked to the Samlaut revolt
Role range: 1966-1967
1968
Defence Minister Returns
Returns as Minister of National Defence before the 1970 crisis
Role range: 1968-1971
1969
Economic Crisis Cabinet
Recalled by Sihanouk as Cambodia faces economic and political crisis
Role range: 1969-1971
Prime Minister Appointed
Appointed Prime Minister of Cambodia for his 2nd term
Role range: 1969-1971
Vietnamese Base Pressure
Challenges North Vietnamese and Viet Cong use of Cambodian territory
Role range: 1955-1975 – 1969-1971
1970
Embassy Protests
Anti-Vietnamese demonstrations increase pressure on Sihanouk's neutral policy
Role range: 1969-1971
Ultimatum to Vietnamese Forces
Demands Vietnamese communist forces leave Cambodian territory
Role range: 1955-1975 – 1969-1971
Cheng Heng Head of State
Cheng Heng becomes provisional head of state while Lon Nol keeps executive control
Role range: 1969-1971
Coup
Lon Nol leads the political takeover that removes Sihanouk during his absence abroad
Role range: 1969-1971
Emergency Powers
Lon Nol receives emergency powers after Sihanouk is removed
Role range: 1969-1971
National Assembly Vote
National Assembly votes unanimously to withdraw confidence from Sihanouk
Role range: 1969-1971
Sihanouk Abroad
Acts while Sihanouk is outside Cambodia during the decisive National Assembly session
Role range: 1969-1971
Sihanouk Deposed
Premier Lon Nol supports the National Assembly vote removing Sihanouk
Role range: 1969-1971
State of Emergency
Emergency powers are invoked as Lon Nol becomes effective head of government
Role range: 1969-1971
Anti-Communist Government
Neutralist rule is replaced by an anti-communist government aligned with the United States
Role range: 1969-1971
Cambodian Coup
Leads the government as the National Assembly removes Sihanouk while abroad
Role range: 1955-1975 – 1969-1971
Borders Closed
Orders airports and borders closed against Vietnamese communist movement
Role range: 1955-1975 – 1969-1971
Sihanoukville Closed
Closes Sihanoukville to North Vietnamese military supply routes and requests modern weapons
Role range: 1969-1971
US Alliance Sought
Seeks closer military and diplomatic support from the United States
Role range: 1969-1971
US Diplomacy
Requests American support against Vietnamese communist forces in Cambodia
Role range: 1969-1971
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.