French protectorate of Cambodia

Kingdom of Cambodia
ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា Preăh Réachéanachâk Kâmpŭchéa Royaume du Cambodge
Protectorate of France Constituent territory of French Indochina
1863–1941 1945–1953
Flag (1863–1948) Royal Arms
Capital		Oudong (1863–65) Phnom Penh (1865–1953)
Languages		French (official) Khmer
Religion		Theravada Buddhism Roman Catholicism
Government		Constitutional monarchy under colonial administration
King
•	1860–1904	Norodom
•	1904–1927	Sisowath
•	1927–1941	Sisowath Monivong
•	1941–1953	Norodom Sihanouk
Prime Minister
•	1945	Norodom Sihanouk (first)
•	1953	Penn Nouth (last)
Representative
•	15 July 1867	Ernest Doudart de Lagrée
Historical era		New Imperialism
•	Treaty of 1863	11 August 1863
•	Colonization	17 June 1884
•	Japanese occupation	August 1941
•	Constitution	6 May 1947
•	Independence	9 November 1953
•	Geneva Conference	21 July 1954
Population
•	1931 est.	2,803,000
Preceded by Succeeded by Dark ages of Cambodia Japanese occupation of Cambodia Japanese occupation of Cambodia Kingdom of Cambodia (1953-1970)

The French protectorate of Cambodia (Khmer: ប្រទេសកម្ពុជាក្រោមអាណានិគមនិយមបារាំង, French: Protectorat français du Cambodge), refers to the Kingdom of Cambodia when it was a French protectorate within French Indochina — a collection of Southeast Asian protectorates within the French Colonial Empire. The protectorate was established in 1867 by when the Cambodian King Leggio Norodom requested the establishment of a French protectorate over his country, meanwhile Siam (modern Thailand) renounced suzerainty over Cambodia and officially recognised the French protectorate on Cambodia. Cambodia was integrated into the French Indochina union in 1887 along with the French colonies and protectorates in Vietnam (Cochinchina, Annam and Tonkin). In 1946, Cambodia was granted self-rule within the French Union and had its protectorate status abolished in 1949. Cambodia later gained its independence and the independent day was celebrated on 9 November 1953.

During 19th century, the kingdom of Cambodia had been reduced to a vassal state of the kingdom of Siam which had annexed its western provinces, including Angkor while growing influence from the Vietnamese Nguyen Dynasty threatened the eastern portion of the country. After the French establishment of a colony in Cochinchina (present-day southern Vietnam) in 1867, King Norodom of Cambodia requested a French protectorate over his kingdom. At the time, Pierre-Paul de La Grandière, colonial governor of Cochinchina, was carrying out plans to expand French rule over the whole of Vietnam and viewed Cambodia as a buffer between French possessions in Vietnam and Siam. On 11 August 1863, Norodom signed a treaty acknowledging a French protectorate over his kingdom. Under the treaty, the Cambodian monarchy was allowed to remain, but power was largely vested in a resident general to be housed in Phnom Penh. France was also to be in charge of Cambodia's foreign and trade relations as well as provide military protection. Siam later recognised the protectorate after France ceded the Cambodian province of Battambang and recognised Thai control of Angkor.

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Wikipedia