Kingdom of Laos | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947–1975 | |||||||||||
| Anthem: ເພງຊາດລາວ Pheng Xat Lao "Hymn of the Lao People" | |||||||||||
.svg) | |||||||||||
| Status | Frenchprotectorate (1947–1953) Independent state (1953–1975) | ||||||||||
| Capital | Vientiane (administrative) Luang Phabang (royal) | ||||||||||
| Largest city | Vientiane | ||||||||||
| Official languages | Lao French | ||||||||||
| Spoken languages | |||||||||||
| Ethnic groups | Lao Khmu Hmong Phouthai Tai Makong Katang Lue Akha | ||||||||||
| Religion | Buddhism (official[1]) Tai folk religion Christianity Other/Irreligion | ||||||||||
| Government | Unitaryparliamentaryconstitutional monarchy
| ||||||||||
| De factoleader | |||||||||||
• 1959–1960 | Phoumi Nosavan | ||||||||||
• 1960 | Kong Le | ||||||||||
• 1960–1962 | Phoumi Nosavan | ||||||||||
| King | |||||||||||
• 1946–1959 | Sisavang Vong | ||||||||||
• 1959–1975 | Sisavang Vatthana | ||||||||||
| Prime Minister | |||||||||||
• 1947–1948(first) | Souvannarath | ||||||||||
• 1962–1975(last) | Souvanna Phouma[a] | ||||||||||
| Legislature | Parliament | ||||||||||
| Royal Council | |||||||||||
| National Assembly | |||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| 11 May 1947 | |||||||||||
• Independence | 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 | Kip (₭) (LAK) | ||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC+7 (ICT) | ||||||||||
| Date format | dmy | ||||||||||
| Calling code | +856 | ||||||||||
| ISO 3166 code | LA | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Today part of | Laos | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Part ofa series on the | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| History ofLaos | ||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||
| Ancient-Classical | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Lan Xang era | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Regional kingdoms era | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Colonial era | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Independent era | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| See also | ||||||||||||||
TheKingdom of Laos was the form of government inLaos from 1947 to 1975. Located inSoutheast Asia at the heart of theIndochinese Peninsula, it was bordered byBurma andChina to the northwest,North Vietnam to the east,Cambodia to the southeast, andThailand to the west and southwest. The country was governed as aconstitutional monarchy beginning with its independence on 22 October 1953. It survived until December 1975, when its last king,Sisavang Vatthana,surrendered the throne to thePathet Lao during thecivil war in Laos, who abolished the monarchy in favour of aMarxist–Leninist state called theLao People's Democratic Republic.[2]
Given self-rule with the new Constitution in 1947 as part of theFrench Union and a federation with the rest ofFrench 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-calledThree Princes, contended for power: the neutralists under PrinceSouvanna Phouma, the right-wing party under PrinceBoun Oum of Champassak, and the left-wing, North Vietnamese-backed Pathet Lao under PrinceSouphanouvong and future Prime MinisterKaysone Phomvihane.
The Pathet Lao would eventually emerge victorious in theLaotian Civil War and establish the Lao People's Democratic Republic in 1975.
The Kingdom of Laos was officially proclaimed when the new Constitution was promulgated in 1947, as part of the colonialFrench Union,[3] and obtained full independence in 1953. The monarchy lasted until 2 December 1975, when the last kingSisavang Vatthanaabdicated the throne to thePathet Lao, who abolished the kingdom and proclaimed Laos as acommunist state.
Following the Franco-Lao Treaty of 1953, which gave Laos independence, theRoyal Lao Government took control of the country. This treaty established a constitutional monarchy, withSisavang Vong as King and Prince Souvanna Phouma asPrime 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 PrinceSouvanna 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 PrinceSouphanouvong.
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.
The Kingdom of Laos was divided into five military regions. TheRoyal Lao Armed Forces were responsible for the defense of the country, comprising three branches of service: theRoyal Lao Army, theRoyal Lao Navy, and theRoyal 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.
The Royal Lao Government had close relations with theUnited States, which gave the country aid and assisted it in the campaign against thePathet Lao and the North Vietnamese Communist movement. During 1957, the United States spent more per capita on foreign aid for Laos than it had on any other nation. That worked out as US$150 per Laotian, twice the average person's annual income. Some of the money went to supportpro-American candidates in an election, while other money went to a program to support the local currency, thekip.[4]
King Savang Vatthana visited the United States in 1963 to meet with PresidentKennedy.
Laos was also supported byFrance,Australia,Burma,Thailand andJapan.
In 1960, amidst a series of rebellions, fighting broke out between theRoyal Lao Army and theSoviet Union-backed,communistPathet Lao, a second Provisional Government of National Unity formed by PrinceSouvanna Phouma in 1962 proved to be unsuccessful, and the situation steadily deteriorated thereafter as the conflict in Laos became a focus for superpower rivalry. During theNorth Vietnamese invasion of Laos, the Pathet Lao were backed militarily by thePeople's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) andVietcong.
Laos was also dragged into theVietnam War after parts of Laos were invaded and occupied byNorth Vietnam for use as a supply route for its war againstSouth 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 byHmong GeneralVang Pao, and supportedArmy 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 oneB-52 bombload every eight minutes, 24 hours a day, between 1964 and 1973. US bombers dropped moreordnance on Laos in this period than was dropped during the whole of the Second World War. Of the 260 million bombs that rained down, particularly onXiangkhouang Province on thePlain of Jars, some 80 millionfailed 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 bycluster bombs during this war, Laos was a strong advocate of theConvention 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 KingSavang Vatthana to abdicate on 2 December 1975.
A ceasefire was finally attained in February 1973, following theParis 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 thefall of Saigon andPhnom 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, PrinceVong Savang submitted the letter of abdication of KingSavang Vatthana to the Pathet Lao. TheLao People's Democratic Republic was established with Prince Souphanouvong asPresident. Kaysone Phomvihane acted as Prime Minister and Secretary-General of theLao People's Revolutionary Party.
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]
.svg)
