First cabinet of Norodom Sihanouk

First cabinet of Norodom Sihanouk
First cabinet of Norodom Sihanouk
; 1st Cabinet of Cambodia
	King and Prime Minister Norodom Sihanouk, 1941
Date formed	18 March 1945
Date dissolved	13 August 1945
People and organisations
Monarch	Norodom Sihanouk
Prime Minister	Norodom Sihanouk
Prime Minister's history	King of Cambodia (1941-)
Total no. of members	10
History
Successor	Thành I

The First cabinet of Norodom Sihanouk was the first Council of Ministers formed in the history of Cambodia. It was led by Norodom Sihanouk, King of Cambodia at the time.

Background

After Japan overthrew the French rule in Indochina, King Norodom Sihanouk proclaimed an independent Cambodian state and sworn in the ministers. Until Sơn Ngọc Thành joined the cabinet, all ministers were, according to Sihanouk, "best-known for their pro-French zeal".^[1]

Cabinet

Cabinet members
Portfolio	Minister	Took office	Left office	Ref
Prime Minister	Norodom Sihanouk	18 March 1945 (1945-03-18)	13 August 1945 (1945-08-13)	^[2]
Minister of Finance	Ung Hy	18 March 1945 (1945-03-18)	13 August 1945 (1945-08-13)	^[2]
Minister of National Economy	Norodom Montana	18 March 1945 (1945-03-18)	13 August 1945 (1945-08-13)	^[2]
Minister of National Education and Propaganda	Meas Nal	18 March 1945 (1945-03-18)	13 August 1945 (1945-08-13)	^[2]
Minister of National Defense and Supply	Tea San	18 March 1945 (1945-03-18)	13 August 1945 (1945-08-13)	^[2]
Minister of Justice	Chan Nak	18 March 1945 (1945-03-18)	13 August 1945 (1945-08-13)	^[2]
Minister of Interior and Political Affairs	Sum Hieng	18 March 1945 (1945-03-18)	13 August 1945 (1945-08-13)	^[2]
Minister of Interior and Political Affairs	Var Kamel	18 March 1945 (1945-03-18)	13 August 1945 (1945-08-13)	^[2]
Minister of Foreign Affairs	Sơn Ngọc Thành	30 May 1945 (1945-05-30)	13 August 1945 (1945-08-13)	^[2]^[1]
Secretary General	Nong Kimny	18 March 1945 (1945-03-18)	13 August 1945 (1945-08-13)	^[2]
Deputy Minister of National Education	Chuon Hol	18 March 1945 (1945-03-18)	13 August 1945 (1945-08-13)	^[2]

Dissolution

On 9 August 1945, a group of seven young officials, "dissatisfied with a government filled with old traditionalists", stormed Sihanouk's palace and arrested the whole cabinet except Sơn Ngọc Thành. While they failed to have Sihanouk abdicated, the King was forced to appoint Thành as Prime Minister to form a cabinet of nationalists. However, Thành immediately released the ministers and began to arrest the coup-makers.^[1] Thành's cabinet was sworn in on 14 August.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Kiernan, Ben (2004). How Pol Pot Came To Power: Colonialism, Nationalism, and Communism in Cambodia, 1930-1975 (2nd ed.). Yale University Press. pp. 49–50. ISBN 978-0-300-10262-8.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l Puy, Kea (2010). រដ្ឋាភិបាលកម្ពុជាពីឆ្នាំ ១៩៤៥ ដល់ ឆ្នាំ ២០១០ [The Cambodian Government From 1945 To 2010] (in Khmer) (2nd ed.). សេវាបោះពុម្ពផ្សាយ រាហុ៍. pp. 4–5. ISBN 978-99950-64-15-0.

[Kiernan-1] Kiernan, Ben (2004). How Pol Pot Came To Power: Colonialism, Nationalism, and Communism in Cambodia, 1930-1975 (2nd ed.). Yale University Press. pp. 49–50. ISBN 978-0-300-10262-8.

[Puy-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l Puy, Kea (2010). រដ្ឋាភិបាលកម្ពុជាពីឆ្នាំ ១៩៤៥ ដល់ ឆ្នាំ ២០១០ [The Cambodian Government From 1945 To 2010] (in Khmer) (2nd ed.). សេវាបោះពុម្ពផ្សាយ រាហុ៍. pp. 4–5. ISBN 978-99950-64-15-0.

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