Mao era

Since the 1950s, Pol Pot had made frequent visits to the People's Republic of China, where he received political and military training�"especially on the theory of the dictatorship of the proletariat�"from the personnel of the CCP. From November 1965 to February 1966, high-ranking CCP officials such as Chen Boda and Zhang Chunqiao trained him on topics such as the communist revolution in China, class conflicts, Communist International, etc. Pol Pot also met with other officials, including Deng Xiaoping and Peng Zhen. He was particularly impressed by Kang Sheng's lecture on how to conduct a political purge.

"Peculiar Institution": Another term for slavery in the South.

Dysentery: (pronounced DISS-ehn-terr-ee) Intestinal disease causing severe diarrhea. Dysentery was a leading cause of deaths by disease.

Colors: A flag identifying a regiment or army. The "Color Bearer" was the soldier who carried the flag in battle, which was considered a great honor.

Brevet: (pronounced brehv-it) An honorary promotion in rank, usually for merit. Officers did not usually function at or receive pay for their brevet rank.

Skirmish: A minor fight.