Complex sentence: In fact, the socialist revolution held very little popular appeal, which led Pol Pot and his cadres to use ultra-nationalist sentiment, repressive and murderous rule, and propaganda aimed at demonizing the Vietnamese to maintain their tenuous control.
Split into simpler sentences: In fact, the socialist revolution held very little popular appeal. To combat this, Pol Pot and his cadres resorted to ultra-nationalist sentiment, repressive and murderous rule, and propaganda aimed at demonizing the Vietnamese to maintain their tenuous control.