Kingdom of Laos

Coordinates: 17°58′N 102°36′E / 17.967°N 102.600°E / 17.967; 102.600
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Kingdom of Laos
ພຣະຣາຊອານາຈັກຣ໌ລາວ (Lao)
Royaume du Laos (French)
1947–1975
Anthem: ເພງຊາດລາວ
King 
• 1946–1959
Sisavang Vong
• 1959–1975
Sisavang Vatthana
Prime Minister
 
• 1947–1948 (first)
Souvannarath
• 1962–1975 (last)
Souvanna Phouma[a]
Legislature
National Assembly
History 
11 May 1947
22 October 1953
21 July 1954
14 December 1955
23 August 1975
2 December 1975
Area
• Total
236,800 km2 (91,400 sq mi)
Population
• 
3,100,000
Currency
+856
ISO 3166 codeLA
Internet TLD.la
Preceded by
Succeeded by
French Protectorate of Laos
French Indochina
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Royal Lao Government in Exile
Today part ofLaos
  1. ^ Held the position several times.

The Kingdom of Laos was the form of government in

Marxist–Leninist state called the Lao People's Democratic Republic, which has controlled Laos ever since.[2]

Given self-rule with the new Constitution in 1947 as part of the French Union and a federation with the rest of French Indochina,[3] the 1953 Franco-Lao Treaty finally established a sovereign, independent Laos, but did not stipulate who would rule the country. In the years that followed, three groups, led by the so-called Three Princes, contended for power: the neutralists under Prince Souvanna Phouma, the right-wing party under Prince Boun Oum of Champassak, and the left-wing, North Vietnamese-backed Pathet Lao under Prince Souphanouvong and future Prime Minister Kaysone Phomvihane.

The Pathet Lao would eventually emerge victorious in the Laotian Civil War and establish the Lao People's Democratic Republic in 1975.

History

The Kingdom of Laos was officially proclaimed when the new Constitution was promulgated in 1947, as part of the colonial French Union,[3] and obtained full independence in 1953. The monarchy lasted until 2 December 1975, when the last king Sisavang Vatthana abdicated the throne to the Pathet Lao, who abolished the kingdom and proclaimed Laos as a communist state.

Government

Following the Franco-Lao Treaty of 1953, which gave Laos independence, the Royal Lao Government took control of the country. This treaty established a constitutional monarchy, with Sisavang Vong as King and Prince Souvanna Phouma as Prime Minister.

Many attempts were made by the Three Princes and King Sisavang Vatthana to establish a coalition government. The First Government of National Unity was established in 1958 under Prince Souvanna Phouma, but collapsed after two months. The Prime Minister, who under the constitution appointed his ministers and received advice from the King, made a deal with his brother Prince Souphanouvong.

Souvanna Phouma gave the Communists two seats in the Cabinet, and in return Souphanouvong would integrate 1,500 of his 6,000 Communist troops into the royal army. Prince Souphanouvong was given the post of Minister of Planning, Reconstruction and Urbanization, while another member of the Communist Party was named Minister of Religion and Fine Arts.

The legislature of the Kingdom was bicameral.

Military

The Kingdom of Laos was divided into five military regions. The Royal Lao Armed Forces were responsible for the defense of the country, comprising three branches of service: the Royal Lao Army, the Royal Lao Navy, and the Royal Lao Air Force, which was under the control of the Ministry of Defence in Vientiane.

The United States supplied the Royal Lao Navy with twenty river patrol boats and sixteen amphibious landing craft. Between 1962 and 1971, the United States provided Laos with an estimated US$500 million in military assistance.

Foreign relations

The Royal Lao Government had close relations with the

kip.[4]

King Savang Vatthana visited the United States in 1963 to meet with President Kennedy.

Laos was also supported by France, Australia, Burma, Thailand and Japan.

North Vietnamese invasion of Laos and civil war

North Vietnamese troops march through Laos, 1967.

In 1960, amidst a series of rebellions, fighting broke out between the

Vietcong
.

Laos was also dragged into the Vietnam War after parts of Laos were invaded and occupied by North Vietnam for use as a supply route for its war against South Vietnam. In response, the United States initiated a bombing campaign against the North Vietnamese positions, supported regular and irregular anticommunist forces in Laos, including those led by Hmong General Vang Pao, and supported Army of the Republic of Vietnam incursions into Laos. It also provided supplies, training and funding for the central government.

In 1968, the PAVN launched a multi-division attack to help the Pathet Lao fight the Royal Lao Army. The attack resulted in the army largely demobilizing, leaving the conflict to irregular forces raised by the United States and Thailand.

Massive aerial bombardment against Pathet Lao and PAVN forces was carried out by the United States. It has been reported that Laos was hit by an average of one

Xiangkhouang Province on the Plain of Jars, some 80 million failed to explode and continue to injure and kill residents to this day.[5]

Laos is the most heavily bombed country, per capita, in the world. Because it was particularly heavily affected by

cluster bombs during this war, Laos was a strong advocate of the Convention on Cluster Munitions
to ban the weapons and assist victims and hosted the First Meeting of States Parties to the convention in November 2010.

In 1975, the Pathet Lao, along with the PAVN and backed by the Soviet Union, overthrew the royalist Lao government, forcing King

Savang Vatthana
to abdicate on 2 December 1975.

Fall of the government

A ceasefire was finally attained in February 1973, following the Paris Peace Accords between the United States and North Vietnam. In April 1974, another Provisional Government of National Unity was established, with Prince Souvanna Phouma as Prime Minister. However, by this time, Pathet Lao forces controlled large areas of the country, and following the fall of Saigon and Phnom Penh to communist forces in April 1975, removed any chances of a coalition government forming in Laos.[6] Following the communist victories in both countries, they advanced on to Vientiane.

On 2 December 1975 in Vientiane, Prince

Lao People's Democratic Republic was established with Prince Souphanouvong as President. Kaysone Phomvihane acted as Prime Minister and Secretary-General of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party
.

Aftermath

About 30,000 to 40,000[7] citizens and members of the old government, including the royal family, were taken to re-education camps in remote areas of Laos. The King, Queen and Crown Prince all died in captivity.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Laos Constitution 1947/1949" (PDF). Bloomsbury Professional. 11 May 1947.
  2. ^ "About this Collection - Country Studies". loc.gov. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Library of Congress - Laos - The Kingdom of Laos". loc.gov. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  4. ^ John Holt (2009). Page 110. Spirits of the Place: Buddhism and Lao Religious Culture.
  5. ^ MacKinnon, Ian (3 December 2008). "Forty years on, Laos reaps bitter harvest of the secret war". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  6. ^ "Laos". state.gov. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  7. ^ "Laos under communism". Archived from the original on 2013-08-28. Retrieved 2012-04-25.
  8. ^ "Laotian Royal Family Died in Prison Camp". The New York Times. 8 February 1990. Retrieved 20 June 2023.

External links

17°58′N 102°36′E / 17.967°N 102.600°E / 17.967; 102.600